BlogHer - WHY I SHOULDN'T BE A PUBLISHED WRITER - Comments

Published Writer

Jmanlowe — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:45:00 -0500

I'm with you Gena. There's a reason Kant's name sounds like the opposite of can, yes? Writing is my life's blood and I love to do it as a form of rebellion. I always invite myself to allow the inner 8th grader to let it all out onto the page. I love reading too and would love to have you add to my blog with a favorite book (and 1-2 paragraph review).

Until then.

Jenn

http://helpfulbooks.wordpress.com/

see also webpage: http://LDUpublishing.com

Talk About A Writing Block!

Gena Haskett — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:17:53 -0500

Jeepers, by that logic you could never enjoy a meal, take a walk or watch a butterfly.Kant was a drip anyway.

I like the Buddhist mindfulness meditation where you eat one grain of rice at a time to savor and appreciate the meaning of consumption.

How about a little gene splicing? One small beautiful element at a time you write what you want.

Psst. Don't tell Grampa, this is on a need to know basis and for the moment, depending on which plane of existence he is occupying, he doesn't need or care to know.

Gena - Out On The Stoop

WHY I SHOULDN'T BE A PUBLISHED WRITER

Jmanlowe — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:36:09 -0500

All people who write usually recommend that would-be writers should "write what you know best." So, in this forum, I decided to talk about what normally stops me from writing--the dreaded notion that it won't amount to anything worthy of publication. I'd be a great mom, I know. Can you imagine saying to your own toddler, "Don't bother crawling, you'll probably never become an olympic athlete"? I don't have kids so this isn't my particular temptation. Rather, my concern is overcoming the grandiosity gene, the one that came into being generations ago in my family. The genetic error seems to say, "Unless your work is amazing, keep it to yourself." Truth be told, my grandfather actually gave my siblings and myself this advice, "If you're wondering whether to do something or not, ask yourself, 'could this action be written about on the front page of The New York Times?'" German philosopher Immanuel Kant had a similar framework--what he termed the categorical imperative: "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."

How does this relate to writing? What are the key differences between my Grandfather & Kant? What do you think?