©GeraldineBanksAugust2024
I realise whether I’m reading or writing, it’s the thoughts that come into my head that are stimulated by trying to find the right words or indeed understand other peoples words that definitely floats my boat.
My preference for reading is definitely older more established books, they have lasted because they touch the reader in some way. At the moment I’m reading Jack London’s, The People of The Abyss. George Orwell’s said of the book that London was misguided in many of his thoughts, for example after a night in one of London’s horrendous doss houses , he leaves his tramp associates and makes his way to his safe house for a bath, good food and a sleep in a comfortable bed.
London does though, explain the unfairness of the system that the poor and homeless are subjected to and expresses empathy with them. He was not of their class however. He is a very good writer though, as his words made me listen to him and he expressed himself in such a way that gave me much food for thought, so much so . I didn’t pay much attention to his distaste to the smells and bad habits of the tramps. Orwell was much more sympathetic and indeed humorous about this in “Down and Out in Paris and London”.
A writer, any writer has that power. Obviously it helps if you care about what you are writing about. Have you got an expansive mind? Mine isn’t very expansive. Have you seen or heard something that made you jump to a conclusion or build a premise for a story? That is how I write, something that spurs me on , that something . I don’t want to convert people as I don’t feel I can solve the World’s problems. Leave that to the academics( thankfully us writers can pull the reins in on some of the academics theories).
The writer can express the things that we know in our hearts or that puzzle us and bring them together in a format that recognises that the reader is not the only one that feels that way or if your are the only one than there is someone else, even just one person. It might make you think perhaps you should look at alternatives to your ideas or it may make you realise the world is a harsh place and you need to stick to your belief along with your creative partner who actually dared to put what you were thinking in writing.
Writing can achieve so much, but it’s the use of language that is key. With the books that I’ve read and sorry to say I have not read enough. It’s the language that makes communication with the reader possible. The reader doesn’t turn off , or put the book down never to pick it up again. That is a disaster. So the challenge with writing is to create something of interest , that peaks and intrigues and generates emotions and thoughts, that questions, and all with words.
George Orwell was a master writer and in my mind will live forever, his effect on others through his writing was immense, he was a craftsman with words and loved his writing and indeed humanity. Perhaps he did have to escape to Scotland and work on a croft. Writing at his level was draining and he was dedicated, but needed to recharge his batteries.
I don’t aim to be like George, we are after all completely different eras, but I know that we need writers to make us think and that is always going to be true. So that is why I write. To make myself and others think.
