Then what shall I write? I can't just write that this happened then this happened then this happened to boring infinitum. I'll let my journal grow just like the mind does, just like a tree or beast does, just like life does. Why should a book tell a tale in a dull straight line? Words should wander and meander. They should fly like owls and flicker like bats and slip like cats. They should murmur and scream and dance and sing.
Interpretation
Writing should be dynamic and expressive, reflecting the complexity of life rather than presenting a linear narrative.
In this quote, David Almond emphasizes that writing, like life, is not a straightforward journey but rather a rich and intricate exploration of thoughts and emotions. He encourages writers to embrace the fluidity, creativity, and spontaneity of expression, suggesting that words should evoke a sense of movement and vitality, akin to the natural world, rather than adhering to a dull chronological structure.
In practice
In a creative writing workshop to inspire fellow writers to break free from traditional storytelling.
I landed a job with Roger Corman. The job was to write the English dialogue for a Russian science fiction picture. I didn't speak any Russian. He didn't care whether I could understand what they were saying; he wanted me to make up dialogue.
An artist's initial broad stroke is always most impactful, and obsessively adding layer upon layer of paint to fill in details often diminishes the painting's aura. When an aura is lost, it is impossible to get back.
It's emotional for artists who are women and people of color to have less value placed on our worldview.
I wrote poems in my corner of the Brooks Street station. I sent them to two editors who rejected them right off. I read those letters of rejection years later and I agreed with those editors.
The main thing that I learned from editing is that most people, when they're making a film, they start too early into the story. They will try to set up the characters, they will try to establish things before the plot actually starts.
For many artists and critics, beauty is a discredited idea. It denotes the saccharine sylvan scenes and cheesy melodies that appealed to Granny.
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