To shift the structure of a sentence alters the meaning of that sentence, as definitely and inflexibly as the position of a camera alters the meaning of the object photographed.
Joan DidionRead
The writer is always tricking the reader into listening to their dream.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writers often manipulate narratives to engage readers in their imaginative visions.
Joan Didion's quote suggests that a writer's primary role is to captivate the reader's attention and immerse them in a crafted dream world. This act of 'tricking' is not about deception but rather about skillfully guiding readers through the authorβs imagination, allowing them to experience a journey that transcends reality.
Themes
WritingDreamReaderImaginationNarrative
In practice
Example use cases
During a writing workshop, I used Didion's quote to illustrate how narrative techniques can engage readers.
More from Joan Didion
All quotes βThe truth is, it's easier for me to write than talk... to express the state I'm in at any time.
Joan DidionRead
Memories are what you no longer want to remember.
Joan DidionRead
It was clear, for example, in 1988 that the political process had already become perilously remote from the electorate it was meant to represent.
Joan DidionRead
I mean maybe I was holding all the aces, but what was the game?
Joan DidionRead
Do not whine... Do not complain. Work harder. Spend more time alone.
Joan DidionRead
Similar quotes
I always do the first line well, but I have trouble doing the others.
MoliereRead
We need to bring music to the people, even to those who normally do not listen to classical music.
Simon RattleRead
Music and the arts feed our souls, but a decent wage puts food on the table. Musicians, fans of music, and grassroots political organizations are a potent force to fight for social justice.
Tom MorelloRead
Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.
Coco ChanelRead
Whatever is felt upon the page without being specifically named there β that, one might say, is created.
Willa CatherRead
At the time I begin writing a novel, the last thing I want to do is follow a plot outline. To know too much at the start takes the pleasure out of discovering what the book is about.
Elmore LeonardRead