A Wordsmith's Manifesto


Courtesy of tribe

I eat, pray and love the written word. My every spare moment is spent reading, writing, or listening to words that bring inspiration, comfort, wisdom and joy.

I am always poised to pen something down, especially when triggered by a flash of insight, moved by a scene, or teased by an idea that refuses to leave my head.

I carry a notepad and pen with me whenever I go for meetings, regardless of the agenda. Capturing prodigious quantities of notes is always a good practice for the inner journalist in me.

I read, and read, and read. During bus rides to and from one destination to another. Before I sleep at night. Whenever I'm waiting for an activity to happen. You will always find a book in my bag - and yes, I am a "bag man". Nothing triggers good writing better than good reads.

I'm a keen observer of my environment, the people surrounding me, and the unique situations that I find myself in constantly. They provide fodder to my literary outputs, planting the seeds of the narratives that chronicle my thoughts.

I pay special attention to how every word is crafted and honed to meet the page. I fuss over the flow and cadence of my sentences, the expressions used, the points highlighted, and how they are all assembled together. Especially the beginning and the end.

Being human, however, there will be "off" days when I can barely muster a single virtuous word. I understand that good writing isn't as easy as turning on a tap and letting it flow. Writer's block is an inevitable occupational hazard that hits all of us.

I believe in different strokes for different folks. Write for your audiences and write for the medium. There are distinct differences between an advertisement, a press release, a blog post, an invitation email, a strategy paper, and a diary documenting one's innermost thoughts.

I am always mindful of the contexts of my writing. There is a time and place for everything under the Sun. Finding the right moment to tell the right story to the right audience under the right conditions are crucial elements of writing success. Anything else is a compromise.

I am always learning and always picking up new things. While I trust in my own instincts, I am also painfully aware that I'm not omniscient. I will make mistakes, but I will pick myself up again, brush off the dust, and carry on.

I am a wordsmith. Writing is my craft.

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