Why I Write

Where are the mystagogues? Writing is mystagogy. It is leading oneself, or others, into a great mystery. Their own lives are a mystery. It is a good place to start.

Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived

I see hundreds, actually thousands, of online writing courses popping up on the Internet. Nearly all of them involve some cohort based model that trains people on how to write consistently for an online audience (for engagement).

The creators have already solved the riddle of content-driven writing, and they will show you how to crack the code.

Life... See more

Writing is mystagogy. It is leading oneself, or others, into a great mystery. Their own lives are a mystery. It is a good place to start.

The normal and the everyday is a mystery, too. Yet few people have the eyes to see it that way

Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived. My number one criteria in evaluating a piece of writing is not whether it solved my problems, but whether it opened me up to dive deeper into the mystery.

Writing an essay or short story or book is a personal project that directs our energy in one direction for a period of time. It gives me something to stay focused on, a north star, a vector for movement.