It took, for me, a long time to develop this idea of what to do on the radio. But from the beginning of my time in radio, I had pretty non-traditional tasks.
Ira GlassRead
When you're learning, especially to write, unless you're some incredibly gifted writer, a young Malcom Gladwell, say, you need to be imitating people. You need to be imitating how they make their work, how they structure it, how they design the pieces. It gives you chops; it gives you moves.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Learning to write often requires imitation of skilled writers to develop one's own style.
This quote by Ira Glass emphasizes the importance of imitation in the learning process, particularly in writing. Glass suggests that aspiring writers should study the techniques, structures, and styles of established writers, as this practice enhances their skills, providing them with the necessary tools and 'chops' to create their own unique voice in writing.
Themes
WritingImitationLearningSkillsCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
An educator might use this quote to inspire students in a creative writing workshop.
More from Ira Glass
All quotes →At some point, all comics have to go out and be retail salesmen doing door-to-door. And this idea of somebody who totally knows their craft having to get up for free in front of a crowd to work out some stuff they're thinking in their head, still, after as much success as you can get, is really interesting.
Ira GlassRead
I think good radio often uses the techniques of fiction: characters, scenes, a big urgent emotional question. And as in the best fiction, tone counts for a lot.
Ira GlassRead
It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions.
Ira GlassRead
It's hard to make something that's interesting. It's really, really hard. It's like a law of nature, a law of aerodynamics, that anything that's written or anything that's created wants to be mediocre. The natural state of all writing is mediocrity... So what it takes to make anything more than mediocre is such an act of will.
Ira GlassRead
I wish that someone had said to me that it's normal to feel lost for a little while.
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