In literature, it is just as useful to vary the style as it is in life to vary the thoughts. The risk of not doing so is to become addicted and diminished, narrowing horizons and dooming the next expression to be a replica of the previous one. To a certain extent, varying the style is also thinking differently, and the writer who gets used to doing this will be getting used to stimulating the brain so that it does not settle for what it has already conceived.
Tag: writing
The Writer Is Mistaken in Assuming…
The writer is mistaken in assuming that he will transform his art by living the same mediocre life indefinitely. It is good to have no more than a corner to write in and, temporarily, that is enough. It is also good to stick to and get used to what is strictly necessary in order, above all, to distinguish it. But for there to be a transformation in art, and for it to be true, it must also take place in life, because therein lie the circumstances that will motivate his work, unless he betrays himself. It is therefore necessary to make an effort to modify and shape the whole of reality, as far as his strength allows; and if this does not produce satisfactory results, it will be from his conscious struggle that the best of his motivation will emerge.
As Much Fun as It Is to Consciously Violate…
As much fun as it is to consciously violate each and every one of the dictates of the new language police, it is unpleasant and painful to watch those who bow down to it. It is fun because, with each transgression, we are reminded of the stupidity of these dictates; and it is fun because we express our insubjection to the foolishness. When, however, we observe the reverse in another conscience, what we see is someone who, out of fear or to please, has sacrificed what should be most valuable to him: freedom. Less than irritate, it pains us to observe it…
It Takes a While for an Artist to Discover…
It takes a while for an artist to discover that the best art he can make is that which is most intimate, most genuinely his own, and not the most acclaimed by the critics. It takes a while because, to the beginner, the idea that he should strive for authenticity will seem nonsensical, when he is a beginner and therefore has to learn and find himself. That is why imitation, to a greater or lesser extent, is a natural and fruitful path. But there comes a time when practice sufficiently highlights what is and is not one’s own. Then it also becomes clear that imitation, if anything, is a stepping stone to great art, and that this can only be done with the substance of what most stirs the individual conscience.