Prose with a Mission

I don't believe in writing those "introductory" pieces for everyone to read. I'm not going to tell you what I like to do on a lonesome Sunday afternoon, what breed of dogs I like, and if I think we should be sipping Martinis by the beach.

This is not a Relationships Classified Section on Craigslist.

If you wanted to know about a person, you'll read and absorb their words. You'll pay attention to their use of language, if they have the skill to transform a sentence into a work of art, their use of the under appreciated semi-colon, and depending on their intentions you'll see it as a window into their world.

Pay attention to whether or not they break, bend or follow the rules. One writer may adhere to the rule that three sentences form a paragraph, while another writer may say, "Fuck that. I think one word can stand alone as its own paragraph and be just as powerful!" It's like telling someone to go to hell, fuck off, or I hope your kids get locked in a closet with Michael Jackson, while another person may just raise up the one-finger salute and walk away.

Break the rules at your own discretion. Remember that in order to break them, you first need to know what they are. You can't just write out one-word sentence paragraphs down the page just for the sake of doing it.

Try it. You'll look like an idiot.

Did you pause for a moment to think about it?

Good for you.

See what I just did? There's a rhythm and an art to quick, short paragraphs. They are short, but to the point. They cause you to stop for a second and think about what you just read, or while an author narrates, it causes tension in the piece. Most importantly, it creates a relatively easy flow for a reader to get into.

If the writer of the piece is successful, they will give a magnificent, super human power which only they will possess for the time being. It can be a matter of minutes, or a few hours. They will be under such an immense haze that they see only what you see. In essence they become you; they inherit your joy, sadness, hate and passion. For a certain time frame, you get to play god with their emotions.

Holy shit, that's amazing!

So congratulations. You have given them the gift of art, and in return they have given you the gift of their undivided attention. Don't you feel special?

I certainly do.

Ausgezeichnet und willkommen zu meine Welt.

-Jimmy