"You do not have to feel truer than others in order to
be original....be different and keep aspiring to be a better you." ~Toba
Beta
There is a lot of talk in the writing world about writing
for a market and finding trends. Competition is great and people are trying to
belong and yet trying to stand out. I like this quote because it touches on the
idea that maybe this is the wrong approach. Being original doesn’t mean writing
the same stuff better. In fact, if we look at the top books from last year, we’ll
find they stand out because they are different
I’m thinking of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I had to
laugh when I began this book because in the first page he breaks all “conventional”
rules. He writes a prologue that is kind of “telly” from the omniscient point
of view. But, the reader soon discovers his mastery of the craft of writing. I
don’t think I’ve ever read a novel from death’s point of view set in Nazi Germany.
Death’s point of view? Sure. Nazi Germany? Sure. But mix them, and what a
story. He stood out for me as the best book I read in 2013 because he was so
different than everything else. So, be different and better, but don’t worry
what others are doing. That’s what we should strive for.
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