I am almost certain that this has to do with what I have read in the
past year or so. If somebody was to suggest this 12 months ago, they may have obtained
a different, more direct response.
Yes, in a sense, being able to write as well as one can will, of course,
keep the reader more loyal. I'm sure that there have been many a novel when the
plot itself was wonderfully planned out, spoiled by a continuous load of
tedious dribble that followed page after page.
W.Clement Stone was once quoted as saying that: "you are a product of your environment". With this in mind perhaps social and political aspects of the environment we are raised in, along with our current environment, does have an impact on our personal outlook of the world. If we were to take a child from Iraq, and one from Australia, they would each almost certainly have a different story to tell. Having read 'Private Peaceful' by Michael Morpurgo, as someone who is living in a country still at war, and has a brother-in-law who works as an infantry soldier for the British Army, it hit close to home.
Morpurgo has in the past lived on the military base at Sandhurst, and had his family involved in wars. In effect, other works including War Horse and Kensuke's Kingdom both illustrate a common theme of survival in hostile environments. If that doesn't tell you something, I don't know what will. In addition to this, Dickinson wrote a number of Civil War poetry; poems used to express herself, and others; poems that would never have had a pen put to paper if it wasn't for her political environment in which she lived.
Go figure.
W.Clement Stone was once quoted as saying that: "you are a product of your environment". With this in mind perhaps social and political aspects of the environment we are raised in, along with our current environment, does have an impact on our personal outlook of the world. If we were to take a child from Iraq, and one from Australia, they would each almost certainly have a different story to tell. Having read 'Private Peaceful' by Michael Morpurgo, as someone who is living in a country still at war, and has a brother-in-law who works as an infantry soldier for the British Army, it hit close to home.
Morpurgo has in the past lived on the military base at Sandhurst, and had his family involved in wars. In effect, other works including War Horse and Kensuke's Kingdom both illustrate a common theme of survival in hostile environments. If that doesn't tell you something, I don't know what will. In addition to this, Dickinson wrote a number of Civil War poetry; poems used to express herself, and others; poems that would never have had a pen put to paper if it wasn't for her political environment in which she lived.
Go figure.
I agree that there are good stories that have been ruined by poor writing, but that doesn't necessarily stop them from being read; maybe a good story can keep you turning the page?
ReplyDeleteI grew up reading Morpurgo and there was something about his stories that came across as real to me, like I was almost within them myself. However I think this only happened because Morpurgo has covered both the good story element and the good writing element, when put together, as writer you can be come unstoppable.