To be a good writer, you not only have to write a great deal but you have to care. You do not have to have a complicated moral philosophy. But a writer always tries, I think, to be a part of the solution, to understand a little about life and to pass this on… As we live, we begin to discover what helps in life and what hurts, and our characters act this out dramatically. This is moral material… In order to be a writer, you have to learn to be reverent. If not, why are you writing? Why are you here?… Think of reverence as awe, as presence in and openness to the world. Think of those times when you’ve read prose or poetry that is presented in such a way that you have a fleeting sense of being startled by beauty or insight, by a glimpse into someone’s soul. All of a sudden everything seems to fit together or at least to have some meaning for a moment. This is our goal as writers, I think; to help others have this sense of — please forgive me — wonder, of seeing things anew, things that can catch us off guard, that break in on our small, bordered worlds. When this happens, everything feels more spacious.
Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (1995)
Use the link below to read an interview with North American writer, activist and educator ANNE LAMOTT:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2024/may/07/anne-lamott-author-interview
You might also enjoy:
The Write Advice 103: ANNE LAMOTT
The Write Advice 076: DORIS GRUMBACH
The Write Advice 036: JOHN STEINBECK
