Vertov.Isou

Forever in search of a truer and more powerful form of self-expression. In the words of Emil Cioran, "I dream of a language whose words, like fists, would fracture jaws."

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Latest Articles

Writing

101

Using Zen Philosophy to Improve Creativity and Overcome Writer’s Block

Of the many obstacles that plague an ambitious writer, that of the blank page demanding to be transformed into beautiful...

Vertov.Isou Oct 9, 2016

Latest Topics

writing

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Can anything new really be said?

Even a brief examination of the history of literature, poetry and playwriting reveals that much of humankind's essence has already been explored in a myriad forms. We, as modern writers, are trying to find new things to say about emotions, beliefs, states of mind, and ideas that have been with us for millennia. Can anything new be said, or is everything just a reformulation of old things? Has writing exhausted its potential for innovation?

All said, does novelty even matter? It could be that there is "nothing new under the sun" in terms of literary explorations of emotions, thoughts and human experiences. However, is it more important that something new actually be said or that an artist tries to do so? Why? What makes either attempt successful or unsuccessful?

writing

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What the author meant doesn't matter: what the reader thought they meant does.

To what extent should a reader consider the author's intention in producing the work? Is the reader's individual relationship to the written work more important than the author's intended effect? Does the author have any right to dictate what the work should mean to the reader? Or, can the author only provide an interpretation of their own work and leave the rest to the reader? Consequently, are all interpretations of a written work, however absurd, valid and worthwhile? Whose opinion matters more?

I really like this topic. An author's intent is important. – Tigey 8 years ago
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One thing: your title seems leading. – Tigey 8 years ago
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Authorial intent is a massive can of worms - one that I hope someone has the guts to open. I would love to see this article written, but I do caution anyone that tries will risk earning the ire of literature PhD's everywhere. – Tarben 8 years ago
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It's important that people read and interpret things on their own but also with knowledge of the culture the writer was producing in and that's what should be focused on. – Slaidey 8 years ago
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To do this topic justice, it'll be necessary for whoever writes this topic to discuss the importance of New Criticism, namely the theoretical contributions of John Crowe Ransom, Allen Tate, Cleanth Brooks, Robert Penn Warren, I.A. Richards, T.S. Eliot, Stanley Fish, and particularly William Wimsatt and Monroe Beardsley (for their essay "Intentional Fallacy," which is about precisely this). – ProtoCanon 8 years ago
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Tarben, is the "can of worms" you mention the tension between old historicism and New Criticism, or something else/more? – Tigey 8 years ago
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It would be interesting to look at Wolfgang Iser's reader response theory in relation to this too. – Lauren Mead 8 years ago
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The author's intention is really important, for instance if you want to do Thomas Hardy or Sylvia Plath, you need to understand how they feel...otherwise you'd end nowhere. – Anya 8 years ago
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As mentioned above, it's definitely worth reading up on Literary Criticism before attempting this (and even then, there has never really been one definitive answer to this question). It's definitely worth checking out Roland Barthes' "Death of the Author" as that has been the, possibly now slightly outdated, backbone of the authorial intent debate for a while! – LucyViolets 8 years ago
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Latest Comments

Jun 8, 2018 IsidoreIsou Thank you very much for having read the article and for your kind comment.	Using Zen Philosophy to Improve Creativity and Overcome Writer’s Block
Oct 24, 2016 IsidoreIsou That’s interesting and so useful too. I’m part of some writing groups and I think that’s something that would be useful to us. Thanks 🙂	Using Zen Philosophy to Improve Creativity and Overcome Writer’s Block
Oct 24, 2016 IsidoreIsou Thank you very much! Thanks for reading it. What kind of games are you talking about?	Using Zen Philosophy to Improve Creativity and Overcome Writer’s Block
Oct 22, 2016 IsidoreIsou I’ve only recently started to read about the psychological benefits of yoga. I once thought it only had physical benefits, and of those benefits I thought that the majority were to do with relaxation. I’m starting to realise that yoga is in fact an energising practice that can make life more vivid and intense.	Using Zen Philosophy to Improve Creativity and Overcome Writer’s Block
Oct 22, 2016 IsidoreIsou Your words remind me of Alan Watts. I’m especially fond of the notion that the universe is not made of parts. Everything that happens right now is one continuous process with the origin of all things. Thanks for this comment. Speaking of koans, have you heard the ‘Goose-Bottle’ koan?	Using Zen Philosophy to Improve Creativity and Overcome Writer’s Block
Oct 22, 2016 IsidoreIsou And I thank you for being willing to read this article 🙂	Using Zen Philosophy to Improve Creativity and Overcome Writer’s Block
Oct 22, 2016 IsidoreIsou I agree–the cogs are turning much more easily. Also, by meditating, you silence the inner critic. In a certain sense, you get out of your own way and establish a more direct connection between inner creativity and the blank page before your eyes. Keep on meditating and keep on writing 🙂 I look forward to reading and hearing of your work really soon.	Using Zen Philosophy to Improve Creativity and Overcome Writer’s Block
Oct 22, 2016 IsidoreIsou I wholeheartedly agree with that. Too many people try to write, critique and edit simultaneously. If you’re going to write, just write. Keep on going. Thanks for reading the article.	Using Zen Philosophy to Improve Creativity and Overcome Writer’s Block

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