Writing should be an act of love: love of words; love of expressing your soul; love of deeper and higher truths. Even righteous, angry writing, against social injustice, say, or biting satire - these are ways to somehow try and make humanity more humane.
But the rage and ranting and vitriol that infects parts of the Internet are far from acts of love. Those unchecked, unedited and often vicious words can poison the well.
For you new writers, or students of writing: don't buy in. This is a phase that will fade. Write from your heart. Learn the craft. And don't waste your time wanking about life's little annoyances that some bloggers and twitterers are wasting their time on. Let them have that. Do better.
But the rage and ranting and vitriol that infects parts of the Internet are far from acts of love. Those unchecked, unedited and often vicious words can poison the well.
For you new writers, or students of writing: don't buy in. This is a phase that will fade. Write from your heart. Learn the craft. And don't waste your time wanking about life's little annoyances that some bloggers and twitterers are wasting their time on. Let them have that. Do better.