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.
Now I realize that from '72 through to about '76, I was the ultimate rock star. I couldn't have been more rock star.
The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne, Burnt on the water.
If you truly love film, I think the healthiest thing to do is not read books on the subject. I prefer the glossy film magazines with their big color photos and gossip columns, or the National Enquirer. Such vulgarity is healthy and safe.
At root, a pearl is a 'disturbance' a beauty caused by something that isn't supposed to be there, about which something needs to be done. It is the interruption of equilibrium that creates beauty. Beauty is a response to provocation, to intrusion. ... The pearl's beauty is made as a result of insult.
The kind of fiction I'm trying to write is about telling the truth.
I think of myself in the oral tradition-as a troubadour, a village tale-teller, _x000D_ the man in the shadows of the campfire. That's the way I'd like to be remembered-_x000D_ as a storyteller. A good storyteller.
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