Every island to a child is a treasure island.
P. D. JamesRead
I don't think writers choose the genre, the genre chooses us. I wrote out of the wish to create order out of disorder, the liking of a pattern.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writers are often guided by the genre they resonate with rather than consciously choosing it, and they seek to bring order to chaos through their work.
P. D. James reflects on the relationship between a writer and their chosen genre, suggesting that it's not merely a deliberate choice but rather an inherent connection. This reflects the idea that writers often write to impose structure and meaning onto the chaotic and complex nature of life, producing a recognizable pattern amid disorder.
Themes
WritingGenreCreativityOrderChaosArt
In practice
Example use cases
In a workshop discussion on creative writing, referencing this quote could emphasize the natural alignment of personal expression with chosen genres.
More from P. D. James
All quotes βIf from infancy you treat children as gods, they are liable in adulthood to act as devils.
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I believe that political correctness can be a form of linguistic fascism, and it sends shivers down the spine of my generation who went to war against fascism.
P. D. JamesRead
What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give.
P. D. JamesRead
Open your mind to new experiences, particularly to the study of other Βpeople. Nothing that happens to a writer β however happy, however tragic β is ever wasted.
P. D. JamesRead
It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.
P. D. JamesRead
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