When I learnt to write I became my own master, I became very strong, and that strength is with me to this very day.
V. S. NaipaulRead
I really wasn't equipped to be a writer when I left Oxford. But then I set out to learn. I've always had the highest regard for the craft. I've always felt it was work.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The author reflects on the journey of becoming a skilled writer through dedication and hard work.
In this quote, V. S. Naipaul acknowledges that he lacked the inherent skills to be a writer after leaving Oxford, but he emphasizes the importance of perseverance and the willingness to learn. By recognizing writing as a craft that requires effort, he illustrates that mastery comes through commitment and respect for the process, rather than just natural talent.
Themes
WritingLearningCraftDedicationPerseverance
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech at a writers' conference, you could emphasize the importance of continuous learning in writing.
More from V. S. Naipaul
All quotes →It is wrong to have an ideal view of the world. That's where the mischief starts. That's where everything starts unravelling.
V. S. NaipaulRead
If you decide to move to another country and to live within its laws you don't express your disregard for the essence of the culture. It's a form of aggression.
V. S. NaipaulRead
One must always try to see the truth of a situation - it makes things universal.
V. S. NaipaulRead
His ignorance seemed to widen with everything he read.
V. S. NaipaulRead
I think when you see so many Hindu temples of the 10th century or earlier disfigured, defaced, you realise that something terrible happened. I feel the civilisation of that closed world was mortally wounded by those invasions the old world is destroyed. That has to be understood. Ancient Hindu India was destroyed.
V. S. NaipaulRead
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