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.
In the best of all possible worlds, directors would obsess about the quality of their storytelling, and not the details of their technical methods.
There is something suspicious about music, gentlemen. I insist that she is, by her nature, equivocal. I shall not be going too far in saying at once that she is politically suspect.
The desire for symmetry, for balance, for rhythm in form as well as in sound, is one of the most inveterate of human instincts.
There are many different styles of, and approaches to, tap. My own leans towards a more intellectual view: tap dancing not just for the sake of entertainment but to educate and spark emotion.
The most important thing to realise is that everyone is capable of telling a story. It doesn't matter where we were born or how we grew up.
I've found that music allows years to fold like an accordion over each other, so I guess you don't feel the passage of time as much.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.