Writing is Choice

The Market House in Fayetteville, NC was a slave marketplace, though it was not built for that purpose. Its history, based on utopic idealism, is as striking as its beauty. Photo by MHJohnson

Sometimes I sit and ask myself if I have changed for better or worse. I question where our world is headed, taking me along for the ride. I was reading book titles and topics when I ran across something that piqued my interest:

Irina Dumitrescu

Industrious Habits

In Matrix, Lauren Groff continues to ask the question that has haunted her work for years: What kind of utopias can we imagine when the apocalypse is already in sight?

December 16, 2021 issue

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My topic of discussion begins with the above brief analysis, borrowed from www.nybooks.com/ideas/.

When approaching a topic of discussion, I usually try creative exploration, which allows me to explore possibilities. I could begin with a question, a comparison, a list, a definition, a process, a classification, a causal analysis, or a description. Writing is a continual process of making choices that will create a desired effect.

If I begin my creative exploration with a question, it might be something like this:

If the apocalypse is already in sight, how could there be utopias? The approach to my analysis becomes clear: I must start with a definition of "utopia" in the modern sense of the word. I must also clarify or define, "apocalypse." Definition is one approach to writing. It creates a sense of authority and inclusion. Both are important to a reader.

According to the Urban Dictionary, a utopia is:

"a theoretical 'perfect' realm, in which everyone is content, where things get done well by people who are happy to do them, and where all the problems which have plagued our world for millennia no longer apply."

I must personally define any word that might have different meanings to different people. That way, we start from the same philosophical perspective. After using definition as a form of writing, I can get on with the job of answering the question, If the apocalypse is already in sight, how could there be utopias?

If the above definition of "utopia" seems unrealistic, create and share a definition of your own. Is the best utopia a place, a state of being, or a perspective? I'm inclined the believe it's a perspective, but I'm still working on my theoretical definition. Writing is choice, and the most important choice is deciding what approaches to writing work best to get your point across.

by MHeath Johnson, 1/16/2022