IMHO, Writing is about being as brutally honest with yourself as possible.  If you are honest enough with yourself, your words will emerge from that core piece of your spirit that resonates with others.  

THAT is the way to hit a chord; not through strategized pandering, but through a cleanliness of thought that’s too bright to look away from.

IMHO, a writer (or any artist for that matter) must be gifted or willing.  “To do what?” you may ask.  

To breathe the air of their worlds, to dine with their characters, to live with their heroes, to sympathize with their villains…in short, to BECOME their stories.  The audience, I believe, can tell the difference between patchwork reconstruction and a living, breathing world that exists somewhere out there in the infinity of possibility.

Ignoring weakness feels great, but ultimately does you no favors.  Obsessing over weakness makes you feel “in control” and somewhat powerful, but hampers you like an iron weight.

Acknowledging weakness and learning to navigate it…that leads to strength.

The ability to write about anything is predicated on the willingness to BE anything (within the bounds of one’s imagination).  It’s all well and good to close yourself off from what is “vile,” but in writing, I find this to be a limiting factor.  Does that “vile” character in your head think of him/herself as vile?  

Answering that question allows the writer to transcend the imaginal bounds of good and evil, and get the hell to work.

Discipline for discipline’s sake (or toughness for toughness’s sake), is a stupid, counterproductive religion.  People need the right mix of internal qualities that allow them to get the job done, and also allow them to navigate their cravings.  The emphasis on ANY internal quality should be on task accomplishment and living a fulfilling existence; [discipline/toughness/etc.] shouldn’t turn into sick displays that illustrate how much better one person is than another.

As society evolves, it creates new and more insidious prisons—prisons for our time, prisons for our energy, prisons for our thoughts, prisons that are made of obligation and identity….eventually, rather than the accumulation of accolades/wealth/power or even lifestyle, I believe that our collective focus will evolve to center on freedom from ALL prisons, both tangible and intangible.

All talent does is give you a clue: a hint, a direction in which to apply yourself.  To reach the greatest heights, however, talent is not enough.  For without those lung-prickling bursts of effort, what is a clue, a hint, or a direction?  

A missed opportunity is what it is.  Which could be argued as being worse than nothing.

The pull of sleep, of food, of convenience, of always taking in, of always CONSUMING…those pulls are incredibly strong.  It is the rarest and best part of us that wants to overcome, to apply, to accomplish…and not just consume, but PRODUCE.

Identifying with a view and saying this is right and that is wrong, this is proper and that is not…as humans that’s an entirely natural behavior, because we humans like to establish a comfort zone and stay there as long as possible.  But to embrace the unfolding endlessness of possibility, to jump from view to view, applying each one when necessary yet never identifying with it…

That behavior is divine.

Being able to abstain from immediate gratification is more than some macho act of inner strength; it is an expression of faith—faith in abundance.  In effect, your action is telling the universe that you needn’t indulge right now…that you trust that there’ll always be more when you need it.

And if you’re inclined to believe in that sort of thing, there will be.