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THE WRITER'S DUTY
My Fellow Writers,
The tragedy of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon just struck this morning, and I find myself changing the subject of my intended column.
Rather than go in to a profanity-laced diatribe on the cowardice and evil of this act, I figured I'd try to stick close to the topic at hand: writing.
Whenever I see something like this, it reminds me of a basic truth about writing -- writers have the power to make the world a better place. But we have to exercise that power by choosing meaningful projects -- not just things that we think we can sell or that we think will make blockbuster movies. Always consider what you're putting out there in the world, and write as if your current project could be the only project you ever make.
It also reminds me that we all have to be vigilant of intolerance and hypocrisy - two evils central to today's despicable acts of terrorism. Terrorist acts like this don't start the day of the explosion. They start long before, when we're silent in the face of intolerance and when we ignore hypocrisy - such as the hypocrisy I see in a "leader" who condemns fanaticism, then immediately quotes from a specific religious text, ignoring the fact that America is a nation of many people, with many different beliefs.
Taken separately, these actions are almost invisible. However, when added up, these seemingly harmless statements form an attitude, a national personality - one that tends to create separations between different religious groups and nationalities, and foment the type of intolerance that led to this attack in the first place.
That's the lens I'm seeing it through right now. I'm sure my view will widen and evolve as my anger and shock dissipate. For now, I return once more to my basic premise: do the projects that are truly meaningful to you. Not only will your present be more fulfilling, but you'll likely find that those projects are a lot easier to stay committed to - and sell - over the long term.
Editorializing,
Grady
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