Back in June, I wrote a post about the various things my father taught me about writing (and creative work in general). Mom turned 96 this month, and I thought it would be appropriate to do the same for her.
She only ever said one thing about my writing, and writing in general. But boy what a great lesson it was.
“Write about the human condition.”
Mom must have said that at least a dozen times over the course of my life, if not more. She’s always been fascinated by the human condition – what drives people to do great good and great evil. The very term is poetic. The ‘human condition’ is a beautiful but fatal one. We are all expressions of it, in our own ways.
And writing about the human condition? To me that represents depicting characters’ emotional landscapes realistically, how they think and feel and fight and love. On a broader canvas, it means writing about the morals and ethics and philosophies that drive us (whether we’re aware of them or not). And overall, it prompts writing that tries to make people think and feel.
So go write about the human condition.
And thanks, Mom.