The fiction writer in me likes gaps in stories because I can jump into that gap and try to suggest something.
Marlon JamesRead
If your depiction of loss doesn't make the reader feel loss, then you didn't depict it right.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Effective storytelling should evoke genuine emotions in the reader.
Marlon James emphasizes the importance of creating an authentic emotional experience in literature. If an author's portrayal of loss fails to resonate with readers, it suggests that the depiction lacks depth or authenticity, highlighting the critical role of emotional engagement in storytelling.
Themes
LossEmotionStorytellingAuthenticityReader
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a workshop about creative writing techniques.
More from Marlon James
All quotes βI'm not a writer on a mission, and I'm very suspicious of writers on missions, but I'm also not living a false life.
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I always tell my students to complicate your characters: never make it easy for the reader. Nobody is ever one thing. That's what makes characters compelling.
Marlon JamesRead
Not every gay person recites poetry or has read Keats. You can get readers through anything if the characters are complicated. You can't dismiss Josey Wales' quite liberal worldview.
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