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These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind.
We are such stuff
As dreams are made on,
and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
William Shakespeare, The words of Prospero: The Tempest, Act 4.1.146-163
Such is the industry that you are in- training for.
Such is the industry that you are in- training for.
The industry of Dream Creation.
The industry of Dream Creation.
The creation of an emotional, sensual experience within the mind of another person.
The creation of an emotional, sensual experience within the mind of another person.
And just like our dreams, within our sleep
And just like our dreams, within our sleep
The stories that you create will be woven from your
The stories that you create will be woven from your
Lived experience.
Lived experience.
However, it is important to remember that...
However, it is important to remember that...
'Writers should write not what they believe
(because they will just be preaching)
but write to MAKE the audience believe'
Nigel Orillard, 2010
Where do writers get their ideas from?
Where do writers get their ideas from?
Beryl Bainbridge:
Beryl Bainbridge:
When I write a novel I'm writing about my own life;
When I write a novel I'm writing about my own life;
I'm writing a biography almost, always.
I'm writing a biography almost, always.
And to make it look like a novel
And to make it look like a novel
I either have a murder or a death at the end.
I either have a murder or a death at the end.
The only reason I wanted to write was to write down my childhood, to write about things I knew, the people I knew . . .
The only reason I wanted to write was to write down my childhood, to write about things I knew, the people I knew . . .
I don't believe anybody makes anything up, there's no such thing as the imagination.
I don't believe anybody makes anything up, there's no such thing as the imagination.
I mean people may say they don't know where the story came from, but they must do . . . there's nothing you can make up.
I mean people may say they don't know where the story came from, but they must do . . . there's nothing you can make up.
In general, you're recalling memories I think, and that's the only thing that interested me about writing.
In general, you're recalling memories I think, and that's the only thing that interested me about writing.
Michael Morpurgo:
Michael Morpurgo:
One of the things that frightened me about writing when I was a small boy is that I had no ideas and no imagination.
One of the things that frightened me about writing when I was a small boy is that I had no ideas and no imagination.
I was constantly being told this anyway, and I couldn't write very well.
I was constantly being told this anyway, and I couldn't write very well.
I could joke around like other boys, but on paper I had nothing really serious to add, no adventures I wanted to write down, because I didn't – I just didn't link the two up.
I could joke around like other boys, but on paper I had nothing really serious to add, no adventures I wanted to write down, because I didn't – I just didn't link the two up.
I think I learnt at some point that the imagination is not something that you either have or don't have.
I think I learnt at some point that the imagination is not something that you either have or don't have.
For me – and we're all different – it's triggered by real people, historical events, memories,
For me – and we're all different – it's triggered by real people, historical events, memories,
by reality of some sort.
by reality of some sort.
I don't think in my life I've ever written a story which does not have some little root, some little seed of truth or observation.
I don't think in my life I've ever written a story which does not have some little root, some little seed of truth or observation.
Hence these beautiful gifs from The Tale of the Three Brothers from the Harry Potter stories by J.K. Rowling.
Hence these beautiful gifs from The Tale of the Three Brothers from the Harry Potter stories by J.K. Rowling.
Rowling draws directly from World War II:
"It was conscious...I think most of us if you were asked to name a very evil regime we would think Nazi Germany. There were parallels in the ideology. I wanted Harry to leave our world and find exactly the same problems in the Wizarding World.
"It was conscious...I think most of us if you were asked to name a very evil regime we would think Nazi Germany. There were parallels in the ideology. I wanted Harry to leave our world and find exactly the same problems in the Wizarding World.
So you have the intent to impose a hierarchy, you have bigotry, and this notion of purity, which is this great fallacy, but it crops up all over the world. People like to think themselves superior and that if they can pride themselves in nothing else they can pride themselves on perceived purity. So yeah that follows a parallel."
So you have the intent to impose a hierarchy, you have bigotry, and this notion of purity, which is this great fallacy, but it crops up all over the world. People like to think themselves superior and that if they can pride themselves in nothing else they can pride themselves on perceived purity. So yeah that follows a parallel."
JK Rowling presents us with a seeming unsurmountable evil, in the form of Voldemort but allows us to learn, through the journey that she takes us on, and it's recognisable parallels with the course of the 2nd World War, Hitler and his followers - that we can never afford to ignore intolerance, bigotry and racism.
JK Rowling presents us with a seeming unsurmountable evil, in the form of Voldemort but allows us to learn, through the journey that she takes us on, and it's recognisable parallels with the course of the 2nd World War, Hitler and his followers - that we can never afford to ignore intolerance, bigotry and racism.
This is the big picture but Rowling brings it all down to that unwanted baby, naked on the cold, hard floor of a railway station - Tom Riddle. Something frail and human, that we could feel pity for, start to understand.
This is the big picture but Rowling brings it all down to that unwanted baby, naked on the cold, hard floor of a railway station - Tom Riddle. Something frail and human, that we could feel pity for, start to understand.
And doesn't she lead us to be bigots in our response to Severus? How wrong were we?
And doesn't she lead us to be bigots in our response to Severus? How wrong were we?
And we realise it in just a couple of childhood memories - banal, mundane moments in the great scheme of things, just a first love, and the ridicule of a bully, who became lauded as a hero, Harry's Dad.
And we realise it in just a couple of childhood memories - banal, mundane moments in the great scheme of things, just a first love, and the ridicule of a bully, who became lauded as a hero, Harry's Dad.
JK Rowling shows us how we can write about what we believe (in) - without 'preaching' - by using other characters to provide us with an OBJECTIVE view point.
JK Rowling shows us how we can write about what we believe (in) - without 'preaching' - by using other characters to provide us with an OBJECTIVE view point.
Remember:
Remember:
'Writers should write not what they believe
(because they will just be preaching)
but write to MAKE the audience believe'
Nigel Orillard, 2010
But how do we draw the stories out of our experience of the world?
But how do we draw the stories out of our experience of the world?
If we take what Gervais is saying here on face value, without considering the strength of his writing with Stephen Merchant, we only hear -
If we take what Gervais is saying here on face value, without considering the strength of his writing with Stephen Merchant, we only hear -
"Write what you know"
"Write what you know"
but what he is really describing, in that essay that he got an A for,
but what he is really describing, in that essay that he got an A for,
and what we see in The Office, is
and what we see in The Office, is
Truth; the truths of human nature -
Truth; the truths of human nature -
Gervais writes to hold a mirror up to ourselves - this is observational comedy and pathos:
Gervais writes to hold a mirror up to ourselves - this is observational comedy and pathos:
PATHOS definition: a quality that evokes pity or sadness.
PATHOS definition: a quality that evokes pity or sadness.
Contains potentially offensive language.
'Write what you know' does not necessarily mean write about yourself,
'Write what you know' does not necessarily mean write about yourself,
it means write about the truth of the world, and the people, that you see, hear and experience
it means write about the truth of the world, and the people, that you see, hear and experience
and write about the potential of that world and those characters.
and write about the potential of that world and those characters.
And when I say 'truth' I mean, as it says before the definition above,
And when I say 'truth' I mean, as it says before the definition above,
write with a 'quality that evokes' emotion,
write with a 'quality that evokes' emotion,
write to create empathy between your audience and your characters.
write to create empathy between your audience and your characters.
Again, as Nigel says:
Again, as Nigel says:
'Writers should write...to MAKE the audience believe'
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