While writing a book, I’m influenced by things the same way I would imagine most writers are: I look for what I want to steal, then I steal it, and make my own weird stew of the goods
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ludwig wittgenstein (1889 – 1951)
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sub rosa 
Hi. They say there is nothing new under the sun … so it must be a writer’s job to reabsorb and reinterpret. Jane
Good point, thank you!
I agree with the above comment as all stories have already been told (or so I have been told) but what has not been written is each writer’s telling of the story. That is always new or so I have been told. Really enjoyed this last series of posts as well as the comments, Sigrun.
Karen
Thank you Karen, so nice to here from you – always!
I get a lot of inspiration for writing from other authors. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the writing style of Saul Bellow 🙂
I haven’t had a look at any of his books for years, thank you for bringing him up!
I think writers should by all means take and re-imagine, where I have a problem is when the referenced piece is too detectable (film). It will just grate on my nerves. But, this might be frustration with present direction of this medium vis a vis the industry. 😦
“He is careful of what he reads, for that is what he will write. He is careful of what he learns, for that is what he will know.”
― Annie Dillard, The Writing Life
Nice quote. 🙂 What made you choose this one in response? May I ask? 🙂
*And thank-you for the return follow, I appreciate it Sigrun.*
To me this is about making the world of art your own, not mirroring – but becoming, from the inside out.
See the best, read the best: not to duplicate whats already there, but to cultivate the best in yourself
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Yes. Whatever that is. I agree. Thank-you for elaborating..
PS:
Peter Elbow in “Writing with Power, Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process”: If you want your words to make a reader have an experience, you have to have an experience yourself—not just deal in ideas or concepts. What this means in practice is you have to put all your energy into seeing—into connecting or making contact or participating with what you are writing about—into being there or having the hallucination.
I love that!!!! And what a great quote!!!!! I’m going to post it!!!!! I try to do this with my writing and directing (think about this all the time). The problem is, this is a much tougher type of storytelling, it’s tough on you as a storyteller, depending on what you want to say.
And I don’t cite that as excuse – it’s just what I find..
Thank-you!!! 🙂