Tag: Buddha

Writing for others means being able to instantiate themes/philosophies through multiple perspectives and characters…in my opinion, this is more than a practical necessity; it’s the core requirement of every artist and mystic who wants to transcend the dualities of good and evil.  It is the core activity which fosters compassion, for in executing it, you…

When you are a writer (or any form of artist), I think you end up skating the madness-infused edges of possibility, catching glimpses of a fantastical truth, which—if consumed in the proper fashion—can make you saner than those around you.

I believe that the imagination of a writer must be trained as thoroughly as the body of an athlete, and so I create and draft on a regular basis.  Because while the reader doesn’t expect me to have “been there done that” regarding the events in my books, they must be left with a visceral…

IMHO, the key to reliably producing quality results means combining “speed of perception” with consistent audacity.  The faster you perceive what fits in your story, and the more audacious you are in instantiating it, the higher the pay-off for your audience, and the faster you can cycle on to a better project, which in turn…

To me, being an author is 20% reading (research), 80% daily word count, and 0% waiting for inspiration.

There is no inherent salvation in structure.  Adhering to structure can often lead to effective action, which can induce a positive course of events, but structure alone is not enough.  One must be EFFECTIVE.  And to do that, one must constantly question whether the structure is serving them…or if they’re serving the structure.  

For me, the premise behind living a disciplined life is so that when order breaks down, or reality turns into an ambiguous soup of opportunity/peril, you have the basics covered well enough so that you can focus on making big, audacious leaps.  Discipline is not an end in and of itself—if that stance is taken,…

Most will blindly justify structure and tradition, claiming they should be perpetuated because “that’s how things were done in the past,” or “that’s what worked for [some vaunted figurehead.]”.  But IMHO, perpetuation is only justified if it achieves the desired results while upholding an ethical standard.  If either of those parameters are not being met,…

Most of us love simplicity, but ironically, most of us hate doing what it takes to produce it.  A 2-hr movie is powered by HUNDREDS of work hours.  A house is more than just a set of walls; it is a network of structural supports, wiring, and plumbing.  A user-intuitive smartphone is a dazzling array…