Writing is a Sacred Act

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the name of ALLAH, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Writing is a Sacred Act

Famous English philosopher and statesman Lord Francis Bacon said that "Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man." Reading provides knowledge and nourishes the intellect, making one's mind "full". Speaking and engaging in discussion makes one "ready" and adept at communication. "Writing makes an exact man" means that writing requires precision and clarity. Bacon emphasizes that writing forces a person to search for the exact words to convey their meaning, which ultimately leads to clearer thinking.

Whosoever writes something is called an author; and is a person who creates an original work, typically written. The term Author most often refers to someone who writes books, articles, or other literary works. An author's purpose may be to amuse the reader, to persuade the reader, to inform the reader, or to satirize a condition. Therefore; first question for any writer should be, "Why am I writing?"; "What is my purpose for writing?"; and "What shall I write about?". For many who aim to be an author; their immediate purpose may be to complete an assignment or get a good grade. But the long-range purpose of writing is to communicate ideas in written form to a certain audience. Writing allows us to express our thoughts, ideas, and knowledge for others to read.

 A Good writer shall have interesting and important ideas or subjects to write about. Ideas are the heart of the write up; about which the writer aims to capture in his writings. Man learnt to read and write in unknown era as we know that Prophet Moses (AS) received written tablets from God / ALLAH and the series of Prophets (PBUH) after him received guidance which the disciples recorded and this is how the Jews are having Divine Torah and other books. Similarly, the Bible was revealed upon Jesus Christ (AS) and his disciples recorded his preaching which is the now called Bibles by Christians. The Muslims have also kept the written book called Quran as was revealed upon Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Thus art of reading and writing is thus a sacred trust as well.

Writing is a sacred act— a quiet unfolding of the self. When we put pen to paper, we begin a conversation not with the world, but with the parts of ourselves we often overlook. It is in the stillness of writing that the soul begins to speak, whispering truths we didn't know we carried. Writing is a sacred, intentional act which is never random, never just for show. It is a decision—a deliberate, soul-deep choosing of words that have weight, purpose, and direction.

 The writing is also a trait that helps humans add value to their self.; thus writing may also be a leadership superpower: It conquers cognitive limits, clarifies complex thoughts and stress-tests ideas for a decisive strategic advantage. It’s not always the most charismatic or technically brilliant people who succeed. But many humans who may have many other qualities but they were held aback because they never developed one critical habit: the discipline of writing. The most capable leaders and operators reflect this discipline. Such humans don’t write to impress — they write to clarify their thinking, test their ideas and open themselves up to challenge and improvement. 

 Writing expands our extremely limited working memory. It externalizes our thinking, so we don’t have to juggle every idea in our head at once. With our thoughts on the page, we can step back, zoom out and work with more complexity than our brain alone can handle. Therefore; any writer will practice the art of writing from a very early age and will be at very advantageous position at mature stage of life; because much value might have been added with due course of time.

 A good author needs a blend of creative and practical skills. They require imagination to craft compelling stories, strong writing skills to communicate effectively, and persistence to persevere through the challenges of the writing process. Beyond these core attributes, successful authors also possess qualities like patience, perceptiveness, and a passion for both reading and writing.

 Great writers are observers, always taking mental notes and noting subtle changes around them. This attention to detail not only makes them fantastic editors who can spot the smallest grammatical error during a read-through, but it adds a special touch to their writing, too. No descriptive detail gets left behind.

A writer writes. 

A writer writes when he wants to

and when he doesn't. 

A writer writes when he is inspired

and when he isn't. 

A writer writes when the words are flowing from his mind like moisture off of a waterfall

and when the words are as scarce as republicans in Boston. 

A writer writes because he is a writer,

not because there are people who will cheer him on when he is finished. 

Sure, most writers dream of the cheers,

but a writer who will be a writer tomorrow

is one who writes even when the fans don’t show up. 

A writer writes when everything looks hopeless

and when everything is falling into place. 

A writer writes as a baby coohs. 

A writer writes as a child plays. 

A writer writes as a teenager dreams. 

And a writer writes as a grownup worries. 

A writer isn't a writer because he was chosen. 

A writer writes because it is what he has chosen. 

What does a writer write when the words are scarce? 

Many scarce words. 

What does a writer write when the words are abundant? 

Words in abundance. 

A writer doesn't wait for inspiration to hit,

he writes until inspiration catches up with him. 

A writer doesn't write only when the muse is on duty,

he writes until the muse feels shamed and shows up. 

A writer does not seek fame,

though fame often seeks writers. 

A writer does not seek fortune,

though fortune too often seeks writers. 

A writer doesn't seek anything but the satisfaction of writing,

for fame and fortune are fickle and writing only for them leads to many a blank page. 

If I write something meaningful and it is not accepted,

is it no longer meaningful? 

If I write words never before combined,

will people rave over my originality,

or complain about my lack of skill? 

I am a writer and so it doesn't really matter.

 if it doesn't come bursting out of you

in spite of everything,

don't do it.

unless it comes unasked out of your

heart and your mind and your mouth

and your gut,

don't do it.

if you have to sit for hours

staring at your computer screen

or hunched over your

typewriter

searching for words,

don't do it.

if you're doing it for money or

fame,

don't do it.

if you're doing it because you want

women in your bed,

don't do it.

if you have to sit there and

rewrite it again and again,

don't do it.

if it's hard work just thinking about doing it,

don't do it.

if you're trying to write like somebody

else,

forget about it.

if you have to wait for it to roar out of

you,

then wait patiently.

if it never does roar out of you,

do something else.

if you first have to read it to your wife

or your girlfriend or your boyfriend

or your parents or to anybody at all,

you're not ready.

don't be like so many writers,

don't be like so many thousands of

people who call themselves writers,

don't be dull and boring and

pretentious, don't be consumed with self-

love.

the libraries of the world have

yawned themselves to

sleep

over your kind.

don't add to that.

don't do it.

unless it comes out of

your soul like a rocket,

unless being still would

drive you to madness or

suicide or murder,

don't do it.

unless the sun inside you is

burning your gut,

don't do it.

when it is truly time,

and if you have been chosen,

it will do it by

itself and it will keep on doing it

until you die or it dies in you.

there is no other way.

and there never was.

 “Write it on your heart

that every day is the best day

in the year.

He is rich who owns the day,

and no one owns the day

who allows it to be invaded

with fret and anxiety.

Finish every day

and be done with it.

You have done what you could.

Some blunders and absurdities,

no doubt crept in.

Forget them as soon as you can,

tomorrow is a new day;

begin it well and serenely,

with too high a spirit

to be cumbered with your

old nonsense.

This new day is too dear,

with its hopes and invitations,

to waste a moment on the yesterdays.”