Word of the Week: Purpose

Purpose
Noun (plural purposes)
1. An object to be reached; a target; an aim; a goal.
2. A result that is desired; an intention.
3. The act of intending to do something; resolution; determination.
4. The subject of discourse; the point at issue.
5. The reason for which something is done, or the reason it is done in a particular way.

For such a simple word, the complexities of its context are astounding, if only because of how generic the term and the amount of subjects it can pertain to. Purpose, to me recently, has become something of an interesting subject, and this is ignoring the all-to-often crisis an author faces of forgetting the many types of purpose within the pages of a chapter, and outlining something more crucial and more pivotal to the over-all concept. When one questions purpose, they ultimately confront the reason they are writing in the first place, and to articulate that into words correctly the first time poses extreme difficulty.

For myself, I've known for a long time that one of my major purposes is to grow as a writer; to become better adapted, stronger in verbiage, to be able to say more with fewer words, and to be able to harness the reader's emotions. But the last idea brings into the concept the idea of the reader, of audience, and here lies another question of purpose. Who are you writing for? Words like "Young Adult", "Sci-fi", "Mystery", "Romance", all categorical notes that have their own following, and somehow define the books within them. And though most books can be classified within one genre or another, it seems to me personally that these have over-taken some of the older ideas that had persevered and proved themselves worthy by somehow letting us forget. English classes attempt to revive these ideas, but few are successful. In their wake, people become interested in novels of novelty, though stories are conveyed, the writing bears little in the way of higher communication of ideas. Buzz word is the name of the game, and admonishing the task of truly reading has become common.

In my seeking to write a novel, I've thought long and hard, whether it have been day dreaming or focused thought, over many ideas. Some come and go and are never thought of again. Others are transcribed into my own little mental tablet, and a portion of those forgotten. Sometimes I have to revisit the forgotten though, because they are necessary pieces of the grand puzzle I call my story. One of these is the following: Who am I writing for?

It took me awhile to answer, honestly, after having the question posed to be twice. It begged for a response, and nothing I could give it was satisfactory; they were all unfinished sentences, inconclusive thoughts. But it was a simple answer that I only needed think back upon: Myself, and anyone who wishes to tag along on this journey. After a long period of thought, it's become clear that writing for the audience's supposed "intelligence level" limits the power of the word, and limits the power of an author's craft. The piece should be written how it, itself, dictates, and not be restrained by ideas of "audience" or "large words" (This, however, does not excuse use of superfluous words. There is a method to writing, and using big words for the sake of big words contradicts that, and hampers the flow of sentences.). As with any piece of literature, if you don't understand a word, find out what it means, it very well may be pivotal to the story; a hint or a clue, forboding and foreshadowing. And as a reader, know, that sometimes there are things you aren't supposed to understand, the author, despite letting the piece construct itself, is inherently guiding your hand through the pitch of night in a place unfamiliar to you; trust that hand, because it desires to share everything with you. Maybe not in that moment, but somewhere further, all will be explained. Or at least, that's the goal.

And it is with this goal in mind that I say this: I wish to write a masterpiece; I wish to write something timeless and powerful, so much so that even English Teachers try to curb the flow with it.

Cathan

Where we begin.

Hello and welcome to my blog. This is a place about me, but in a light different than normal; it is about my inherent need to create, and my personal experiences in writing my first novel. I will be making an effort to keep this blog updated weekly with my progress as both a writer, and as a type of learn-by-experience guide for anyone else who has similar goals. Frankly speaking however, this is a way for me to spread my work and to gain somewhat of a following. Earnestly, I want this to succeed more than anything else in my life, first and foremost this is my goal and all my eggs are in this basket. So please, sit down and take your time to read; any comments, suggestions, hate mail, or critiques I can take, though I would prefer they be constructive. I'm also willing to answer any questions anyone may have about my work, my process, or the struggles I will be going through to get published.

Cheers,
Cathan