via |
Writing is not like that.
It is an interiority medium. You
have to make a much more conscious effort to paint a picture of the outside
world, and even when the world is presented it’s a reflection of the inner life
of the characters or of the writer. I’ve always said that this is why I love
fiction ~ it’s as close as you can get to another person’s reality.
The internet is an interesting combination of both. It lends itself to the visual and therefore
the quick fix, the exterior. Yet it’s
also word driven and therefore we have the insides of people displayed for all
to see. Everyone can get past the
gatekeepers to express their inner lives.
But the quick fix nature of the medium encourages the reader not to
connect and understand but to form an instant opinion and move on.
Lately I’ve been finding this all exhausting, and I’ve been
seeking out the little corners of the internet that have long quiet intense articles. Anything by Roxane Gay. Byliner and its long-form journalism. The Rumpus.
Or I’ve been avoiding the internet altogether and going to the source,
to my beloved books. Still working my
way through that fabulous short story collection The Story and its Writer, and
also started the second in the Song of Ice and Fire series. Seeking solitude and quiet.
No comments:
Post a Comment