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 By Argile Stox Mar. 14, 2006 The Thoughts on Writing by Brian Michael Barbeito http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/06mar/article134.html article has challenged me to answer a few of his questions regarding, “What makes a good writer, etc?” Brian, I fully admit that I am a writer by accident. About three years ago I was experiencing a horrendous life and kept a journal. I thought that when the life I was living turned pleasant, the journal I was keeping would make a good magazine article. Little did I know that my 446 page typewritten journal would be turned into a 325 page trade paperback offering? What a surprise! My publisher, however, is an entirely different story - altogether. When I was a kid I couldn’t stand writing. I’m a very poor speller and I do not know the first thing about grammar. In addition, my handwriting is worse than a doctor‘s scribble. Before word processors and computers were invented, if I did have to write something, I would quickly use up the eraser on the pencil and have a wastepaper basket full of discarded material. It would take me at least one to two hours of concentrated writing to compose a simple letter to a friend. Thankfully, today –I own a computer and have the Microsoft Professional Word program. In addition, I can also dictate whatever thoughts are in my head. This is also a great advantage because I “hunt and peck” when I type. Before I discovered the dictation program that is in the Microsoft Professional Word program, I would have to stop and correct the misspellings and lose my train of thought. Now, I just dictate the article, letter, or whatever and correct my misspellings or sentence structure - later. Let’s get back to the subject of writing. As a child and young adult I had short stories, editorials, and other general stuff locked in my head. However, the simple task of writing my thoughts on paper became an arduous task. I always had a dictionary by my side and would use it very, very, very, frequently. I would then lose my train of thought, the original idea would be lost, and the motivation to write the article – would evaporate. Now that I have the Microsoft Professional Word program and the dictation program that is incorporated in it (you must buy the microphone and headset separately), I can freely talk out my thoughts and have them instantly produced on the computer screen. I honestly do believe that if the word processor and or the personal computer were not invented –I would’ve been a really frustrated individual. I have thrown many typewriters out of a six or seven story window – to meet their demise on the sidewalk below. It was not the typewriter‘s fault – I just could not master the art of memorizing the keyboard, and typing fast. I really admire the great writers of the past. They sat at a writing table, inked their quill pen, or sharpened their pencil and began writing on a primitive sort of paper. I also admire the recent great writers who used the cranky heavy metal Royal, Smith Corona’s, and IBM’s portable typewriters in the early nineteen hundreds –and used them throughout World War 1 & 2, the Korean War Vietnam War, etc. These great writers, whether they were Shakespeare, Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Mr. E.A. Poe, Hemingway, Sidney Sheldon, Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, Peter Jennings, and others –all used their trusty quill pen, pencil, black notebook, and typewriters to report a story or an important news event. So here I sit in the comfort of my own living space, dictating my thoughts and having them instantaneously flashed on the computer screen for me to view. If I had to use the regular pencil and piece of paper –I would not have been able to get through ¼ of this article. There would be about fifteen or twenty crumpled up pieces of paper tossed in a trash can beside me. I really do not know what inspires me to write. If a funny experience happens in my life, I enjoy recounting the events. If something has truly pissed me off – I enjoy venting the problem by writing about it on the computer. If I strongly disagree with our politicians and their current thinking, I write to them about it. Again, if I did not have the computer and the word processing program, the articles would never have been written. The memoir I wrote was composed on a laptop (when I was able to plug the laptop into in electrical socket and charge the battery in the various homeless shelters I spent nights in). Honestly, I do not believe takes a cerebral genius to write. We do it all the time. “Huh? What do you mean by that?” Well here are my thoughts on that: Each day – individuals talk to each other. They may talk in different languages; however, the words that the other individuals are using to convey their thoughts are being understood by the other individual by way of hand gestures, etc. In my way of thinking, talking is the same as writing. When you talk there is no need to worry about grammar, misspelled words, or sentence structure. If a person does not understand what we’re talking about, we employ metaphors, draw diagrams, etc. If the individual still does not understand what we are talking about, we try and find someone to translate our words, so that the other person we are communicating with can understand them. However, when I write –I have to keep a close eye on the spelling, grammar structure, and a host of other things. I am very grateful that this word processing program alerts me to the fact that I have misspelled something, used an incorrect word, and a host of other things that I wasn’t even aware of. I would think that the Editor of U-K is very grateful that I have purchased the headphone and microphone to utilize the dictation Microsoft Professional Word program. Don’t get me wrong, I still edit my work sometimes three or four times before I send the final draft out. There have been times that my brain –which has been bombarded with medications to assist my heart to heal, I have sent the Editor at least two or three “Final Drafts.” I guess the Editor has gotten used to the fact that sometimes I discover an error in and article that was just sent in, and the error drove me nuts. So I quickly fix the error and send another final draft. The Editor of U-K has been very patient with me and my articles. I really appreciate that! Brian, I really do not think of writing as therapy. In addition, I respect those who read my articles and correct me when I have made an inaccurate statement or they just do not agree with my thought process. That’s OK. I enjoy that. At least some individuals are reading what I have written. They have taken time out of their day and read what I have written. Then, the individual sends me an e-mail and sometimes this generates a discussion about a particular subject. I enjoy that too! So to answer your metaphysical question, “What makes a great writer?” This writer does not have a clue. I write the way I speak. However, I pronounce certain words in a very heavy Brooklyn, New York accent. Some people just cracked up and start laughing for a couple of minutes when I say something. They enjoy the way I say “coffee” or “It is over here, not over dare;” and a host of other Eastern United States manner of pronouncing words. If I was the sit in front of you and read this article in my native Brooklyn, New York way of speaking – you would have a chuckle or two; or maybe you and start rolling on the floor laughing. I try and write to a general audience so that my words and thoughts are fully understood. Imagine for just one small moment that I spoke like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and wrote the same way. I believe that the Editor of U-K would have a nervous breakdown trying to make sense of the way he constructs a sentence. Brian, I wish you the best of luck and your future writing endeavors. Some individuals will thoroughly enjoy your writing, while others - will simply hate it. The key here is to continue writing, showing your writings to others –and getting their opinions. That is about the best advice I can give you - at the time of this writing (LOL!). ------------ Email Argile Stox: argilestox@gmail.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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