Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Writing with Blood

"He that writeth in blood and proverbs doth not want to be read, but learnt by heart." ― Friedrich NietzscheThus Spoke Zarathustra

First, I'll concede: Nietzsche, while one of the world's most renown philosophers, loved to spout passionate nonsense, especially towards the end of his life. But I still keep his books on my shelf. Why hold on to the work of a lunatic? Because of that passion. Because he wrote with abandon and because he wrote with blood.

So here's what I want to challenge you on.

Whether you consider yourself an author or not, you are a storyteller -a writer in essence. Your whole life is a story. Today, right now as you're reading this, you're adding to your story. And if you believe that, as I do, I must ask... are you writing with ink or with blood?

Decades from now, will the readers of your life keep you on the shelves of their memory because, if for no other reason, you once sparked them to life with the insanity of your passion? Are you changing the world? Are you pouring everything, every ounce of your will, every dream and every nightmare, into your story?

I don't know about you, but I want to be like Nietzsche. And, no, that doesn't mean I want to contract syphilis, grow a monstrous mustache, and brood to myself all day. It means I want to write my story with blood. I want people to learn me by heart. So here goes.

3 comments:

  1. Love that preface/introduction or whatever you'd like to call it. It was inspiring yet lighthearted. I'm glad you're writing again.

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  2. Love it - that's a thought worth spending the day on. Or the week...

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