Write For Me

Ray Bradbury talks about his writing journey in the video below. I apologize beforehand for the product placement in the video, but near the end of the video he talks about what he decided is the right stuff to write. What the video and then we’ll discuss it.



“I was writing for me and I discovered that was the way to go.” On the surface, that sounds vain, but when we consider what he’s saying it makes a lot of sense. While our ultimate goal in writing is to communicate with the reader, writing that doesn’t draw upon our innermost feelings will come across as hollow. There are a number of stories that I could write just because I’ve read or watched so many of them. Being able to write a story is one thing, but understanding the motives of a story is another. If we aren’t writing about our own emotions, we won’t get them right. We might end up with a villain who is just bad because he’s a villain and a hero who is good because he is a hero. The reader will be much more interested in a story when it is the story that moves us as writers.

Comments

OneBigHappy said…
Thanks for sharing this. I find Bradbury to be one of the few writers who articulates his craft in ways that are sensible and offer real teaching. I'm wondering what the video comes from? Sorry if I missed the reference, but I'd like to see more if there is more.
September 23, 2010 at 12:39 PM
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