Because here’s the thing: No matter how much one tells stories of magical beasts or impossible worlds, in the end, it is always the world of here and now one is writing about. The better one understands that world, the more powerful the stories will be.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes that storytelling, no matter how fantastical, ultimately reflects the real world. Understanding reality deeply enhances the storytelling process.
In this quote, Steven Brust highlights the inherent connection between fantasy literature and the reality surrounding the writer. He suggests that even the most imaginative stories are rooted in the author's observations and experiences of the 'here and now.' By deeply understanding the world we live in, writers can create more impactful and relatable narratives that resonate with readers, as those stories are enriched by genuine insights and perspectives on life.
In practice
In a writing workshop, this quote can inspire new authors to draw inspiration from their lived experiences.
In our memories, there is a graveyard where we bury our dead. They all lie there together, the loved ones and the ones we hated, friends and foes and kin, with no distinction among them. We have to mourn every one of them, because our memories have made them as much a part of us as our bones or our skin. If we don't, we've no right to remember anything at all.
One can speak poetry just by arranging colors well, just as one can say comforting things in music.
There is no such thing as a German, French, or Anglo-American Expressionism! There are only young people trying to find their bearings in the world.
I'm just going to make the music I love to make, and I'm going to mature with my music.
I mean by a picture a beautiful romantic dream of something that never was, never will be - in a light better than any light that ever shone - in a land no one can define, or remember, only desire
One must be a living man and a posthumous artist.
I have tried to remove weight, sometimes from people, sometimes from heavenly bodies, sometimes from cities; above all I have tried to remove weight from the structure of stories and from language.
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