John August delivered a speech titled "The Challenge of Writing in a Digital Age" and posted the transcript on
his blog. If you're a member of a forum, have a Facebook profile, have your own blog, or even have ever posted a comment on a blog, you need to read this speech. If you are reading this post right now, at least one of those is probably true for you, so go read it:
The Challenge of Writing in a Digital AgeI know 19 pages can be a little overwhelming in this "digital age," but it may be the most important reading you do this week. If you don't want to read 19 pages on a screen, he's provided a PDF you can print (that's what I did). And here are some quotes:
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I make my living as a writer. But I?d argue that most of us in this room make our living as writers. And as more aspects of our lives are conducted online, how we present ourselves in writing will only get more important.
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There have always been experts. But writing in a digital age allows for extremely specialized authorities. In fact, everyone in this room is a potential authority on some subject: Northern Iowa high school basketball.The video oeuvre of Rhianna. You become one by writing about it.
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If you look at writing over the last decade, it?s become much more casual. Not just grammatically, with its sloppy punctuation and really badly thought out emoticons, but tonally. We write everything as if we?re writing to our very best friends, whether it?s appropriate or not.
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The cliche thing for me to say is to question authority. Yes, it?s a cliche because it?s true.... Whether something was difficult to find?like that book in the library in 1988?or incredibly easy?like an article on Wikipedia, you need to be rigorous.
But I want to move beyond Questioning Authority to set a more ambitious goal for you: Become an Authority. I?m not exaggerating to say that in this audience, everyone one of you is a potential authority on some topic, no matter how esoteric. You become an expert by researching. You become an authority by writing.... The internet has billions of readers. What it needs are writers who write with authority.
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[I]f you can?t stop the madness, what can you do? You can step out of it. You can refuse to participate. Turn off CNN. Stop reading the Drudge Report. Stop trying to ?keep up with current events,? because they?re irrelevant. I know it seems like I?m urging you to be less informed.... I?m actually telling you to go deeper.
The only things you should follow closely are those things you find fascinating. Those things you might just be an authority on.
That?s the only way out of the trap of immediacy. Stop reading, and start writing. Be the guy who provides context, criticism, reflection. Organize your own thoughts, and help organize them for others.