"It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellows: he catches the changes of his mind on the hop." - Vita Sackville-WestBritish author Vita Sackville-West, author of the prize-winning narrative poem The Land, cite the absolute necessity of writers to ply their trade. Many would agree, and are known for similar quotes. Once bitten by the bug, writers find it "necessary to write" lest the days "slip emptily by." Just as so many of us won't miss a day at the gym, writers develop the need to write every day to keep their heart and soul intact.
Beyond the visceral need to put pen to paper, writers also feel the need to record the moment. As Sackville-West so aptly describes, once the moment passes it is quickly forgotten. A priveledge and a duty, many writers spend their days writing in a journal, recording their lives and that of relatives, to pass down to their own children. Take a look at the best-seller list. It is FULL of nonfiction titles: memoirs and biographies.
Even fiction writers feel the need to record ideas, information, and even create worlds based on dreams and fears before they are forgotten and lost.
What drives your necessity?
6 comments:
"...once the moment passes it is quickly forgotten." Wow, how true. Sometimes, I write outside my fiction and often then I write to remember, or to survive or conversely, to forget. Great post!
I couldn't imagine not writing.
I couldn't imagine not writing.
I am not an author but I love to read! So I thank all of you who write because your words have the power to teach, inspire, entertain, to feel...
2 Smart Wenches
Many times I don't know what I'm thinking until I hear myself say something out loud. Writing serves a similar function for me by helping me process my thoughts. I can work through my emotions and feelings and by the time I've written it all out, the lesson I'm supposed to learn will reveal itself.
Really excellent quotes! I write because I love it, and because these characters in my brain have such great adventures I want to share. ;)
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