One of the great things about books is you can afford to do anything.
George R. R. MartinRead
When I'm writing from a character's viewpoint, in essence I become that character; I share their thoughts, I see the world through their eyes and try to feel everything they feel.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the immersive experience of writing from a character's perspective.
George R. R. Martin explains the process of writing from a character's viewpoint as an act of total empathy and immersion. He describes how he experiences the character's thoughts and feelings, essentially stepping into their shoes to create a more authentic and relatable narrative. This approach not only enriches the character development but also deepens the reader's connection to the story.
Themes
WritingCharacterEmpathyPerspectiveImmersion
In practice
Example use cases
In a writing workshop, I shared this quote to emphasize the importance of understanding character psychology.
More from George R. R. Martin
All quotes →I hate outlines. I have a broad sense of where the story is going; I know the end, I know the end of the principal characters, and I know the major turning points and events from the books, the climaxes for each book, but I don't necessarily know each twist and turn along the way. That's something I discover in the course of writing and that's what makes writing enjoyable. I think if I outlined comprehensively and stuck to the outline the actual writing would be boring.
George R. R. MartinRead
There is only one god and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: “Not today.
George R. R. MartinRead
I did not do it. Yet now I wish I had.’ He turned to face the hall, that sea of pale faces. ‘I wish I had enough poison for you all. You make me sorry that I am not the monster you would have me be, yet there it is. I am innocent, but I will get no justice here.
George R. R. MartinRead
But a voice inside her whispered, There are no heroes, and she remembered what Lord Petyr had said to her, here in this very hall. 'Life is not a song, sweetling,' he'd told her, 'You may learn that one day to your sorrow.' In life, the monsters win, she told herself.
George R. R. MartinRead
I write from this tight third-person viewpoint, where each chapter is seen through the eyes of one individual character. When I'm writing that character, I become that character and identify with that character.
George R. R. MartinRead
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