Essential reading from Virginia Woolf
As a newbie to freelance writing, learning how to write a publish-worthy essay is an incredible process. It’s been humbling. I’m very grateful for the editors who have accepted my pitches and patiently red-lined my….junk? Can I call it junk?
This morning, for some reason, I decided it would be a “wandering Wednesday.”
I have two deadlines, Thursday and Friday, but I’m going to try my hardest, not to write and just to gather information on How to Write Better. I’m just curiously seeking………an understanding of great writing. And MAYBE one day, I’ll get there.
I’ve never read Woolf’s essay, The Modern Essay.
This morning, as I read, I nearly cried. She discusses the evolution of the essay overtime. The modern necessity for short works and the pressure of that demand.
Woolf made me think of social media.
“That is the penalty which the habitual essayist must now be prepared to face. He must masquerade. He cannot afford the time either to be himself or to be other people. He must skim the surface of thought and dilute the strength of personality. He must give us a worn weekly halfpenny instead of a solid sovereign once a year. “
Read it. It’s about a 15-20 minute read. If you do one thing this wandering Wednesday, take a stroll through this brilliant, relevant piece.
Rachel Ganz 