How (And Why) to Create an Author Mission Statement is a guest column on the Writer Unboxed blog. It’s a five step process to getting clear about the goal of your writing:
- What you write (e.g., poems, essays, novels)?
- Who you write for (e.g., children, young adults)?
- Why you write (e.g., money, fame)?
- Put it together (combine the the answers).
- Put it to work.
My mission is writing free-verse poetry for a fairly literate crowd (not necessarily literate about poetry) to show alternative views, viewpoints, and understandings. Getting paid is nice, but is not the point. Fame may be embarrassing or counter-productive (see The Art of Disappearing by Naomi Shihab Nye). Getting published where many people will read my work and are likely to get what I’m trying to get across (i.e., with open minds) is the point.
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