Dowd - Write Dumb: Writing Better By Thinking Less

Copyright 2019 by James Dowd

All right s reserved, ALL OF THEM!!! No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or reading it aloud in a town square without the prior written permission of the National Football League, except in the case of quotations in positive reviews and hilarious tweets. For permission requests, write to the attention of: Look! Paper mail. You can still send this stuff!!! Who knew?!? at the address below.

470 James Street Suite 001
New Haven, CT 06513

www.WriteDumb.com

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First Edition

9781074165451

Write Dumb

Writing Better by Thinking Less

By James Dowd

Forewarning:

We don't read and write poetry because it's cute.
We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race.
And the human race is filled with passion.
Medicine, law, business, engineering these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman:

O me! O life! of the questions of these recurring,

Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill'd with the foolish

What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer:

That you are here that life exists, and identity,

That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.

That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.

What will your verse be?

Tom Schulman & Walt Whitman

by way of Dead Poets Society

Preface: Everyone Can Write,
But Not Everyone is a Writer

Words are sacred. They deserve respect.

If you get the right ones, in the right order,

you can nudge the world a little.

Tom Stoppard

Whether you write professionally or not, you might have heard the phrase, Everyone can write, but not everyone is a Writer. And, if you havent heard it, you might have felt it. Its a common phrase in the writing world thats used to shut people out, to lessen their opinions and abilities, and to prevent the Writer in all of us from coming out to play.

I find it regularly used by Writers as a way to defend their jobs, their craft, and their perceived amount of respect deserved of them and their work in their respective industry while more and more people, positions, and products, like writing bots, encroach on their livelihood.

That certainly doesnt mean this notion is true. Everyone can write, therefore everyone is a Writer. Its that simple.

Even if you wanted to argue that not everyone can write, Id argue that the scribbling of shapes and symbols to express and communicate is all writing is, and therefore its not as precious a craft as many would lead us to believe.

As a paid and practiced Writer, I can confidently say that those who use this obstructive phrase feel they must defend their position because theyre threatened, intimidated, and scared. After all, they sacrificed so much to get here. They dreamed, they read, they scratched, they studied, they wrote , especially when so many others didnt. They honed and cherished their craft. They furiously worked for the right skills, for the right jobs, in the right markets, in the right industries. Theyre a Writer, with a capital W. This is who they are. This is what they do. This is what they always dreamed of. And yet, common belief is that because everyone out there studied the English language for many years in school, in the U.S. at least, were all fully equipped to be a Writer to critique, edit, and even write in a professional capacity. How dare you, how dare I, how dare we try to capitalize that W and be a Writer, too! How dare we try to express ourselves and better communicate with the world around us! How dare we over-step our bounds, to try to be something that excites and betters us! Absurdity, for sure. However, thats exactly why all of us must approach it with care. Because while surely every one of us trained to write in some capacity, solely based on the fact that we studied it for so many years, it can still be one of the hardest things any of us will do in our daily lives. Its still expressing ourselves, and therefore exposing and revealing ourselves, our careers, our emotions, our intentions, our humanity all frightening things to open to the world; to allow others to see us for who and what we really are.

And, sure, to be a Writer takes years of experience and training something to measure and defend. In fact, theres a belief that being a Writer is something you must be highly skilled in, or that you have extensive education and world experience to guide your pen. But, the truth is, great writing usually comes from comfortably stripping away these things. It takes simplicity, and care, and unique personal experiences. It takes time, not talent. It takes passion, energy, and blood all things each and every one of us possess. And thats why, when we do it right, when it feels like were not only making progress, but making a connection with the page, and our readers, its incredible! Its human. Its an emotional bridge to our reader, and a personal sense of freedom. Thats a drug everyone has tasted and looks forward to. Thats why we look toward being a Writer, or at the very least be better at it.

Remember also that job title in no way determines ones skill as a Writer. Above all else, the simple yet momentous act of writing stands alone as the greatest attribute of any writer doing, not talking. Writing, not thinking about writing. One of the best writers I know is not a Writer by trade. Hes never officially been paid for it, and his name has never been on anything publically. Yet, I anxiously await everything he writes and get excited for his new works, far more so than most professional writers. His name is Chris Hunt. Hes an advertising executive, and not on the creative side. Hes an account rep, a strategist and relationship manager. Emails and PowerPoint presentations are the only areas hes allowed to stretch and flex his writing muscles at work, but afterwards, when hes in his own world, he writes. He writes TV shows, YA novels, and musicals all brilliant! None of them have been produced or published, which has more to say about the industries barriers of entry than his skills, because every piece Sings! He puts his heart into every word and does the most important thing any Writer can do: he writes, he just writes. He doesnt tell people about his ideas, or spin his wheels on drafts. He writes and shares with his friends, always opening himself up for critique and failure and, through it all, evolution of his craft. He doesnt do it for fame or riches. Hes a Writer. And, when the universe aligns itself and the good ones succeed, you will see his name in lights. Let that be a reminder that it is not your title that matters, or what currently pays the bills. All that matters is what you bring to the page. To be a Writer you must write. Write, share, learn, repeat. Thats all there is to it. Your education is certainly enough, and dont let anyone tell you otherwise. There is no other great secret. Just dont try to be Hemingway. Try to be Hunt instead.