With Continual Reference to Justin Kahn.

Monday, July 24, 2006

How to Be a Well Writer: Part One of What Could be An Infinite Series But Will Only Be a Two Part Series, This Week.

With my recent Opium piece, the Hoi Poloi are once again awed with my Writer Ability.

Some
wondered if such a feat could be accomplished even within nine hours.

Other readers have expressed awe at the endless flow of words that seem to flow from me. Endlessly.

I would like to offer a few tips on how to write serious literature.

After all, it is not just readers of my blog who are mystified by my accomplishments. I am constantly being stopped by people with, say, a Phd in Literature who say to me, “When I write everything falls flat. But when I read you, I experience life.” Or gals who get their MFA and say that despite their technical mastery, they feel that they are missing the emotional honesty which they see stamped all over my work. Rather than deal in the dry abstractions, which I am so famous for eschewing, I’d like to present some works in progress and than talk about the life experiences which fueled them.

The Kernel of My Literary Insight: You Have to Write About Life and to Write about Life You Have to Experience Life.

For example, if I didn't experience life by walking down the street then people wouldn't stop me and ask me the secret of writing. And if they didn't stop me what would I have written about before?

Even though, I am giving away the secret to being a great writer, it is important to remember that I am someone who is able not only be whisked away by inspiration but also able to commit to major literary projects which are started today and than continued on a completely different day. Like tomorrow.

11 comments:

Jenn said...

I have gone all these years without knowing how to use the words hoi polloi.

I want to be a well writer. No, actually, I want to be a bum with a backpack.

And writing will help get me there.

bitingblondewit said...

Justin, as always I am awestruck by your brilliance and insight. This is truly a masterpiece!

Justin said...

Jenn, please hang in there until my 18 part series on how to be bum with a backpack. I'm trying to find a way of speeding up the whole making of a backpack thing. Justin

Justin said...

bitingblondewit: I can not doubt the truth of your statement, though I am skeptical of your sincerity. j.

Jenn said...

Justin: What would I do without your instructional little nuggets of wisdom?

I would wander through life in unchartered territory, stumbling into potholes.

Potholes I could have anticipated had I read your posts.

I await your 18-parter...

kelmaree said...

So thats how its done!

bitingblondewit said...

Justin! I am always sincere...except when I'm not. But I was awestuck by your masterful and powerful insight and a little curious...how do the people who stop you on the street know that you're a writer?

Charlene Amsden said...

bbw -- Justin smells of indian ink and old tomes -- or is that tombs?

ANTWAY: Justin does have a kernel of brilliance in there somewhere -- maybe the livng it part ...

Yep. That's it. [Turning off computer now and going outside ....]

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Marion McCready said...

hmmm it's always a worry when someone writes about themself in the third person ;)