My motivations for writing are rather mundane. I enjoy telling stories and have a  desire to entertain others. Pretty simple.

That’s not to say that I don’t take storytelling seriously. For me it’s gravely serious. Something I agonize over. Every time I sit before an empty page I’m prepared to give my best. And my best is usually pretty good. Not yet great, maybe. But rock, solid good.

Which gets me to thinking about expectations. What’s the goal here? If you’re going to go for something. I mean really go for something, you go all in, don’t you? And, in the pursuit of art, that ultimate zenith is to create a timeless masterpiece. One that endures the ages, still as emotionally crushing a century after it was conceived.

There is nothing as simultaneously inspiring and dispiriting as a timeless piece of art. There is the initial beacon of hope that something this magnificent is possible, followed by the humbling, honest assessment of one’s own meager ability.

Still, if immortality is the ultimate goal of an artist, it warrants a study into what separates good from great. Temporary from timeless.

Let’s start with the base qualifications. Timeless, enduring pieces of art, and we’re talking about all forms here, from sculptures to songs, share one core similarity: they expand our emotional range. They make us feel something entirely new, or they provide clarity for an emotion that we were, beforehand, struggling to express or define. They awaken our senses in a way that make us feel more alive and connected to the people and ethereal world around us.

Secondly, they break the common conventions of their day, often to be imitated for decades or centuries to follow.

I write speculative fiction, mostly horror. There aren’t too many examples of timeless masterpieces in this genre. There are iconic themes and characters (Dracula, zombies, the Cthulhu Mythos, etc.) but few true pieces of timeless art. Poe comes to mind. I can safely say that his work will find its way into the next century. But who else? Lovecraft, maybe. I’d love to say that Stephen King will, but would be reluctant to put money on it. Bradbury? I don’t know, my mind is drawing blanks. I hope someone out there can offer some other hopefuls and examples of our genre’s true masterpieces.

But in the more mainstream areas, which tend to turn out the majority of these masterpieces, what is the secret? What separates Michelangelo’s David, from Gutzon Borglum’s Mt. Rushmore? One is a moving piece of everlasting art, the other is a well respected monument. Which would you rather see if given the opportunity?

Brilliant plays hit broadway every couple of years, yet which ones will be witnessed by the theater goers of the twenty-second century? I assure you Shakespeare will be there. And he deserves to be. His work is still awe inspiring, even compared to the contemporary masters of screenplay.

Don Quixote, a book that I admittedly adore, is essentially a slap stick comedy, yet it lives in print five hundred years after first being authored. Would it have the same notoriety if it were written today? Are there more deserving books (Confederacy of Dunces) that sit in obscurity, or is this simply an example of the immortal quality of ageless art?

The Beatles vs. The Beachboys. Why one over the other? Can’t deny the brilliance in both, but the next generation will still worship Lennon over Wilson.

Also, at what point can a piece of art be considered timeless? How much time has to elapse? Seems unfortunate for the contemporary critics, not to mention the creator, if they never get to appreciate the significance of what they’re experiencing.

I’d like to hear your thoughts on, or experiences when faced with, truly masterful, timeless art. What makes it such? What are some of your favorite examples?