I can't say I'm the sort of person who's really inspired by other people's writing. I'm more likely to be inspired by a place, or a film, or a story, or a face, or a piece of music — those are the things that trigger inspiration, for me. Moreover, I like and admire a vast number of books, not all of them because the writing is spectacular. You can enjoy a book, and return to it repeatedly, without necessarily wanting to emulate the author. Sometimes, you enjoy and revere it because you could never hope to imitate it; it's quite beyond you.
That said, I have to acknowledge that there are a number of writers whose expertise fills me with a deep and abiding sense of the most profound satisfaction. They never lag, they never put a foot wrong, they are absolute masters of the written word. Evelyn Waugh is (or was) one of them; his dialogue beggars belief. Jane Austen was another. Somerset Maugham's style was practically flawless. The work of these authors has a clarity, a precision, an elegance that makes it deceptively simple, with a simplicity that almost no one else can ever hope to attain.
Whenever I read it, I come away knowing that I have to work harder. Which is inspiration of a sort, I suppose.
'Advice for Business Writers From a Master Storyteller' (The Business Writer Compilation No.1) [date unspecified]
Use the link below to visit the website of Australian novelist and historian CATHERINE JINKS:
You might also enjoy:
No comments:
Post a Comment