We are none of us great writers. Not until we are beyond hunger, beyond pain, beyond warmth, beyond joy, beyond cold, as we lie silent in the grave. Not until prose or poem, song or sonnet, that we claim our own, is read by children grown up. Not until our name is spoken throughout the Ages.
Fadz J Rosli
Writing, just like anything else in this gloriously complex world, can be learned. It is not the providence of the select few. All of us have stories to spin, tales to tell. We are storytellers, in varying degrees. But writing, be it fiction or non-fiction, is a form of Art. To some, writing comes naturally. Words flow seamlessly from the mind, to the hand, to the small muscles of the fingers. To others, written expression needs to be teased, coaxed, or even threatened out.
Be wary of those who claim they have written perfection. In a world much flawed, perfection is only a utopian dream. But when in our heart we know our creation is perfect in its imperfection, we have done it justice. We have given our best. We should be proud.
Writing is never sacrosanct, other than the Words of God. It may be personal, but there is always room to grow. If you find, along the way, a reader who whispers the truth instead of singing praises, consider yourself blessed. It is better to be bruised knowing you need to improve your piece, rather than to be blisfully ignorant of mediocrity.
We who aspire to be writers, we who explore, who push, who expand the faculties of this particular Art, we who strive for greatness, must never stop reading. Read to enrich the mind. Read to find new forms of expression. Read to learn what is wrong, to make it right.
The first command God gave our Prophet was to read.
The best advice a writer can give another is to read.
I wish you Greatness.
