WRITING AUTHENTICALLY
NOW there’s a topic worthy of a post, don’t you think? Almost every author and reader would agree that authenticity is more than admirable, it’s essential to a great story and read. Easily said and even easier with which to agree, but what does “authentic” actually mean? Isn’t anything written by the indicated author “authentic” by definition?
My experience is that in life, authenticity is rarely if ever entirely clear. In contemporary-speak for example, authenticity can simply refer to how authentic a work seems or “feels” as one reads. I’ve even seen articles in the current news that justify their “authenticity” by way of being “emotional.” The ancient Greeks anticipated this conundrum by identifying five different approaches that appealed to humans regarding authenticity, or better, truth, the second of which, pathos, refers directly to emotional content and effect. Humans tend to regard as authentic that which appeals to and is consistent with expected emotions. This isn’t as outrageous as it might at first seem. After all, it’s rare that one knows sufficient authentic (hear meaning “true”) factual information as to be able to make a clear rational judgement regarding the “truth value” of some data or information. When in doubt, we humans have a powerful secondary system to gauge authenticity and truth based on broader emotional appeal.
As an author, I have to be be solidly aware of this phenomenon. Writing to appeal emotionally to readers is paramount these days to maintaining reader attention. Readers continue reading that which appeals to them emotionally, especially when reading fiction, which is, by definition, imaginary. I categorize those fictitious works that are most highly effective with readers as thrillers or romances. The former excites readers’ sympathetic nervous system’s traumatic learning pathway, the latter excites readers’ parasympathetic nervous systems’ rest, relax and repose or “transformative” learning pathway. This may sound a bit academic, but it’s at the very heart of authentic writing in these two major genres: thriller (or action/adventure) and love/romance, both of which continue to pass the test of time to this day.
I also happen to be an actor, most recently playing the lead character, Will Gardner, in the K. Simmons Production of The STATIC Movie, premiering worldwide on Saturday 25 September 2021 at 7 PM Hawaii Standard Time on Hawaii’s KHON2, KHII and CW, as well as http://www.khon2.com. Acting takes the issue of authenticity to another level, but, again, as in life, movie authenticity isn’t always clear. Think of the last film you’ve seen where medieval characters’ teeth appeared blazing white. Eh? So authenticity again, typically ends up being based more on viewer (or for the written word, reader) expectation and effective emotional appeal. And yet…there is such a thing as authenticity in the purer sense, which I invite my fellow authors and actors to join me in a lifelong pursuit to attain.
Author/Actor Photo: https://i.postimg.cc/J05pMBqH/2-Dan-R...
The Edge of Madness
My experience is that in life, authenticity is rarely if ever entirely clear. In contemporary-speak for example, authenticity can simply refer to how authentic a work seems or “feels” as one reads. I’ve even seen articles in the current news that justify their “authenticity” by way of being “emotional.” The ancient Greeks anticipated this conundrum by identifying five different approaches that appealed to humans regarding authenticity, or better, truth, the second of which, pathos, refers directly to emotional content and effect. Humans tend to regard as authentic that which appeals to and is consistent with expected emotions. This isn’t as outrageous as it might at first seem. After all, it’s rare that one knows sufficient authentic (hear meaning “true”) factual information as to be able to make a clear rational judgement regarding the “truth value” of some data or information. When in doubt, we humans have a powerful secondary system to gauge authenticity and truth based on broader emotional appeal.
As an author, I have to be be solidly aware of this phenomenon. Writing to appeal emotionally to readers is paramount these days to maintaining reader attention. Readers continue reading that which appeals to them emotionally, especially when reading fiction, which is, by definition, imaginary. I categorize those fictitious works that are most highly effective with readers as thrillers or romances. The former excites readers’ sympathetic nervous system’s traumatic learning pathway, the latter excites readers’ parasympathetic nervous systems’ rest, relax and repose or “transformative” learning pathway. This may sound a bit academic, but it’s at the very heart of authentic writing in these two major genres: thriller (or action/adventure) and love/romance, both of which continue to pass the test of time to this day.
I also happen to be an actor, most recently playing the lead character, Will Gardner, in the K. Simmons Production of The STATIC Movie, premiering worldwide on Saturday 25 September 2021 at 7 PM Hawaii Standard Time on Hawaii’s KHON2, KHII and CW, as well as http://www.khon2.com. Acting takes the issue of authenticity to another level, but, again, as in life, movie authenticity isn’t always clear. Think of the last film you’ve seen where medieval characters’ teeth appeared blazing white. Eh? So authenticity again, typically ends up being based more on viewer (or for the written word, reader) expectation and effective emotional appeal. And yet…there is such a thing as authenticity in the purer sense, which I invite my fellow authors and actors to join me in a lifelong pursuit to attain.
Author/Actor Photo: https://i.postimg.cc/J05pMBqH/2-Dan-R...
The Edge of Madness
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