Where Have All the good Writers Gone?

Well, you can rest assured that they are not here! So, at least in the mean time, you have to put up with me. At least on this Weblog! I know that they are out there, I have even seen a few. But what is a good writer? I guess there are as many answers to that question as there are writers. Some people judge a good writer by their ability to hold your attention. That sounds good and reasonable to me. But one might also say that a good writer is known by the content of his or her writing. I have known some people who spend their entire lives reading romance novels. They say that this one or that one is a good writer. But I have to wonder about that. Maybe they can hold the attention of their readers, but what are their readers learning? Writing is like Cooking. Just because it tastes good, doesn’t mean that it is good for you. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good pork chop done on the grill. Or that big juicy porterhouse steak grilled to perfection with a huge baked potato swimming in real butter on the side! YUM! But if I ate that way everyday, I would be bigger than a house! Right now, I am only as big as the garage.

In the end I think it is about content and how that content moves the reader. If it can move the reader to think, then it is good. That is of course assuming that in the process of thinking, the reader learns something that is beneficial to both themselves and others as well. But sometimes I would be happy with just getting some people to think.

Have you ever said to your self, “I wish I had a brain?” Well, I know I have, but then you have to have a brain to say that, don’t you? I guess what I am really saying is, “I wish my brain would kick into some other gear than neutral!” I think brains work better though when you use them. I know mine does, the only problem is, it takes so much energy to get it going. Reading can be one way to get the brain working. Especially when you read something that provokes you to thought.

Have you ever heard the saying: Don’t talk about Religion or Politics? Of course you have, just as I have many times. Isn’t it funny that the two most important topics on this planet are also the two most shunned? There is a reason for that, you know. Reading, talking, even arguing over religion and/or politics is a good way to ‘kick start’ the brain into working. I think that most people have a fear of being rejected, therefore they avoid subjects that they perceive will cause them to be rejected. I have learned over the years, that it is not I that is rejected, but sometimes what I say is. After all, I am a nice guy. Anyone who knows me, would have to like me! (Well, that’s just one opinion.)

But to sum it all up, I would have to say, that in my opinion, a good writer is one who not only keeps the attention of the reader, but one who can provoke others to think. Think for themselves and not just ride along with the wave like a bunch of lemmings running to their death to jump off of the cliff, not even stopping to ask, “Where are we going and what will happen when we get there?”