On Writing
The 7 Deadly Sins of Writing
How many of these seven deadly sins of writing are you committing?
1. Sloth
The definition of sloth has changed over time. At one time, it was known as the sin of sadness and despair. Dante described it as the “failure to love God with all one’s heart, all one’s mind and all one’s soul.” Today, it is generally considered synonymous with laziness or indifference — the failure to use one’s God-given talents and abilities to their fullest. So what does this mean for a writer?
It means that we should stretch beyond our comfort zone and challenge ourselves to hone our skills and learn new ones at every opportunity.
It also means that we should approach each day’s work with enthusiasm and joy — joy that we have within us the ability to communicate clearly, to educate, to entertain, and to provoke thought and discussion among readers. Joy that we are able to see the world in infinite and interesting ways, and that we are able to transform that experience into words that we can share with others.
It means that instead of practicing avoidance when it’s time to write, we ought to look forward to applying butt to chair and crafting the words that will touch another person’s mind.
