Reading Response: Where Do You Get Your Ideas From?

    Ursula K. Le Guin’s piece titled “Where Do You Get You Ideas From” proved to be one of the most inspiring pieces of literature that I have had the pleasure of reading this semester.  Her thought provoking analysis of the “truth” behind being a writer really sank into me, as I think that it would for any person that is interested in or aspires to write. She uses many interesting writing skills here that, I am not sure I have truly considered ever using myself and they, make a deep impact on the reader. 

    Guin’s straight -forward, and upfront approach to scribing her positions and thoughts, on specific aspects of writing, into text is awe inspiring, and the first thing that I noticed when I began to read this essay.  Writing in a style like this comes across as if you are talking to, perhaps, your best friend, or someone that you share an intimate relationship with.  It’s just straight-forward and perhaps that is why it comes across as genuine.

    In this piece she offers a lot of information, and quite a bit of advice along the way.  For me, this was amazing.  I immediately felt like I desired nothing more that to share in the ancient wisdom of my close friend, and soon after this enlightening knowledge is passed on to me, the oppressive shackles and chains binding my true artistic and creative abilities fall away. Now I am free, now I can write. Am I doing it wrong?  Don’t I have to start with an idea?   Questions, I may never ask again.

     Beginning by first trying to dispel any myths associated with the creative writing process, Guin begins to scrape away that the supposed shell enclosing the mysteries of writing and the creation of stories.   Her comparison of a writer’s work to that of a magician, at first to me, was hilarious, however after contemplating it for a little while, I began to realize that writing, much like music, painting or any other art are the closest things to magic on earth that I have ever witnessed.  The creative power of the human mind truly is amazing, and we get to see it exposed the most through an artist’s renderings.

    As the paper progresses, Guin illustrates many aspects that she feels she is “working with” as she is composing or creating her masterpiece.  One of the aspects that she approaches on this subject is the pattern of the words. What? You mean I am not crazy for not finishing a paper until it sounds right to me?  Magical!  Who knew?  I thought that I was crazy for writing something quickly and then spending an enormous time editing and revising!  It would seem I am wrong.  She talks much about patterns in writing, something I hadn’t ever really thought about. “Image patterns“, “idea patterns“, “syntax and grammar patterns” all just pieces of a larger puzzle that allow one human to convey a vast amount of knowledge, thoughts, ideas, and emotions, through tiny little characters that we call letters. 

    I guess that I cannot say I will ever question myself as a writer again, however I don’t believe that I will do it as much anymore. Except ,when I am revising!