19 August, 2011

Jhumpa Lahiri says,

in a New Yorker article (from June), 'Trading Stories: Notes from an apprenticeship':
It was not in my nature to be an assertive person. I was used to looking to others for guidance, for influence, sometimes for the most basic cues of life. And yet writing stories is one of the most assertive things a person can do. Fiction is an act of willfulness, a deliberate effort to reconceive, to rearrange, to reconstitute nothing short of reality itself. Even among the most reluctant and doubtful of writers, this willfulness must emerge. Being a writer means taking the leap from listening to saying, "Listen to me."

This was where I faltered. I preferred to listen rather than speak, to see instead of be seen. I was afraid of listening to myself, and of looking at my life.
I don't actually think writing is anywhere near 'one of the most assertive things a person can do', but I see her point.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, this was an amazing post, i really like how deep you took the importance of writing and how you portrayed the emotions of the characters. If you would like to check out my blog, the URL is www.fablogs.org/cgfa15

13 September, 2011 12:26  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am not very assertive either. I too would rather be in the background while others are in the lime light. I also look to others for guidance in my life. What to say, what to do and even sometimes what to think. When I am writing that is simply mine, nothing can deter me from writing what I want. When I have had a bad day I turn to writing like you. Writing is the one thing that no one can ever judge me on. It sacred to me. Whether I choose to show people my supposed masterpieces or I just keep them to myself. I know that I did it. One thing that I love is when I have someone reading one of my stories and at the end their eyes are big and their mouths are hanging open then the last thing that is the best is when they say "I never thought that it would have ended like that." If you would like to comment on my blog please feel free to at http://fablogs.org/aafa15/

14 September, 2011 03:25  

Post a Comment

<< Home