Writing: The "Give-a-Crap" Theory

As someone who spends a large portion of my day trying to teach writing, I've naturally read a lot of theories about writing. Writing is innate and unteachable. Writing is a skill that can be taught. Writing is malleable and culturally conditioned.

Writing is irrelevant.

Writing is everything; everything is a text.

And so on. Yet none of these theories ring entirely true to me, though they have been hatched by minds (in most cases) far sharper than my own. It seems to me that writing, just like thinking, is done well when writers give a crap.

Writers who give a crap read, and think about what they have read. Writers who give a crap pay some attention to how their sentences are constructed--all of their prose does not look like textspeak. Writers who give a crap take ideas and communication seriously. Writers who give a crap are willing to teach and willing to learn. Writers who give a crap do not embrace anti-intellectualism out of cowardice. Writers who give a crap find dignity in human expression of ideas.

Now, not all writers who give a crap write well, but most are capable of writing at least passably well, because writers who give a crap try. Writers who give a crap respect themselves enough to express themselves as well as possible, and respect others enough to make themselves understood. Writers who give a crap understand that writing is work as well as art.

It's true that not all writers who give a crap will be great writers, and some may never even write well.

But those who do not give a crap will never write well, no matter what.

Comments

[Linda Bedsole]

As one who "gives a", a really appreciate this! I am working at it, and finding the process challenging.
love, mom

[Jason Michael S. P.]

good i like it a lot.

[Jason Michael S. P.]

to tell the truth i ve always had trouble writing but i think i ll try. i ve had trouble because i dont try.

P.S. I remember I learned that "a lot" does not look good. I should say a great deal etc.

I found this site because I read about Israel s punk sceen. I became interested in punk because there was a classmate of mine who knew about all kinds of punk bands. Anything related with punk seems very attractive to me. I also enjoyed the trailer for the documentary Afropunk.

[Jason Michael S. P.]

the truth is that now i try to read about Buda, Buddhism, jesus, mother teresa, Albert Einstein, the Dalai Lama, M. Kramachand Gandhi. I want to change my conduct and become self diciplined. i want to look to heal my way of thinking and interacting with people.