I liked this quotation when I read it because it could mean different things to different people.
First, it could mean that to get a good session of writing done, you need silence. You need to hear the words your characters are speaking to you. You need the silence to focus on the scene and where to place your characters.
Secondly, it could mean writing is a product of a lonely childhood. Perhaps you were raised an only child and/or your parents worked a lot and you had to keep yourself occupied. Those hours creating an entertaining world for yourself, has made you adept at creating wonderful worlds for others.
Or maybe it means you should not tell your story idea to anyone. Debating possible plot options could effectively stops production in its tracks. It may turns your project into an attempt to please everyone at once. Others suggest it distracts you from the delicate process of actually working on the project; you become the type of writer who is always talking about his/her book without ever actually writing it.
These are some ideas of what the quote might mean...WHAT DOES THIS QUOTE SAY TO YOU?
One source: here
Picture source: here
Next, I wanted to send a thank you to Kristen who gave me this award. She's a new blogger with a fantastic looking blog. Go check it out.I've already received and handed this award out...but thank you so much for the mention.
Seven things about me:
I'm Canadian and I don't:
1) like the cold or play outdoor winter sports
2) speak French
3) like eating wild game
4) live in an igloo
5) have a dog sled or huskys
6) have a president
7) say 'eh'
14 comments:
I like the quote too. To me, it means turning off the internal editor and all the "I should do this here" nonsense and just write. Sometimes, you have to trust where the words will take you.
If I can't be writing in literal silence, then I write in the spaces where I'm not looking at something else, listening to something else, or being otherwise distracted from my writing. If I can't have the silence in which to write, then I must create it in my mind.
Fairway Fiction, you're right, sometimes we're our own worst enemy.
Arlee, those are very wise words.
ann
I like what Fairway Fiction said. But on a side note, I literally need silence. No TV or music. Nada.
I think it means that when you close your eyes and listen to the soul of yourself, you'll find the place from which you should write.
Corra
from the desk of a writer
It sounds cool but I don’t agree. The nearest I can get to what she’s on about is that when you write everything else goes quite; it’s as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist, only the thought in your head. My head is never anything resembling quiet.
Kara, what I like about Saturday's quotation and in fact any study of fiction or the words of others is that the same message can me different things to different people. WE can read Shakespeare and come away with differing opinions. But, I love the debate.
Corra, It very well could be. Oh, I love this debate, nah, discussion.
Jim, you bring out a good point. I don't disagree with your assessment. Instead, I'll add it to the mix.
ann
For me, it mean sitting down to think through scenes and how I want to work them so they tie in with the other plot points.
Based on my 'office' being currently in my bedroom,I've learned to think with the television going in the background.
Also, the ride to and from work is where I get a lot of my ideas.
To me, this means that writing comes from being quiet enough to notice things, to pick up the beauty and ugliness around you. It's your own silence and everyone else's noise that makes it all happen.
In a more literal sense... I need some peace to write.
The quote means to be that you need 'inner silence', a sense of reflection. No one writes who isn't curious about the world or themselves.
A person who has a head full of constant motion will never be able to pause long enough to create anything.
Joy, yes, with writing it is often hard for me to find a quiet space but it's important. I find listening to music to drown out sounds... (ha ha ha, that sounds funny) helps.
Samantha, yes, it's true, you need the silence for that. I love how everyone has their own way of looking at the quote.
Tirz, yes, we need that too. When my mind is cluttered, I get nothing accomplished.
Thanks everyone for your wonderfully insightful comments!
ann
This was such an inspirational blog, Ann. Thank you for posting it.
As a response, you made me write an entire blog about it. :D
Laura, I read it...and loved it. Thank you.
ann
Most of my writing is done on the train during my daily commute, and Bombay trains are so crowded you often have only enough place to stand in. And yet, when I start writing, everything else shuts off, and it is only me and my characters. That's probably what the quote means.
Though I do like Fairway ficton's take on it, and yours too Ann (the one about only kids becoming writers). I am an only child, and I grew up with a family of imaginary friends. Without them, I would never have become a writer.
Post a Comment