The critics can go to hell.

Don't know what makes good writing. I call myself a writer. Don't know if I'm good or bad. Or somewhere inbetween. Don't even know if I qualify as a legitimate writer. But I've written. Words and sentences and paragraphs and stories,  if nothing else. Virtually all my life. Even published a neighborhood newspaper. When I was in the sixth grade.  Thought I had a knack for writing. But on reflection, that was myth.  I wasn't a natural born writer. But I've developed a style. Writing mostly in short sentences. I like one word sentences. Some of my stuff sounds more like weird offbeat poetry than prose. Maybe it's that I have no clue. About real good writing. Makes me a poor judge of writing.  Gabriel Garcia Marquez is supposed to be a good writer. Or so I'm told. He died in the past year or so. At age 87. I like some of his writing. And abhor some, too. I don't like his style. Especially when he writes sentences that meander for pages. Some of his sentences in 'The Autumn of the Patriarch' seem to never end.  As if floating off into eternity. I'm tempted to translate Marquez's writing. Into short sentences. Nothing longer than 20 words. But mostly 10 words, or less. That would make for easier reading.  Critics would encourage me to wake up. And recognize Marquez as an astute craftsman. An artist. A nifty wordsmith. One of the greatest writers of all time. Meanwhile, I'd be called one of the worst writers. Maybe deservedly so. But still, that doesn't stop me. From writing the way I want to write. The critics can go to hell. --Jim Broede