It is important that a story ring true upon a human level, even if it never happened."
- Alan Moore
This quote encapsulates exactly everything that I've held in my mind as a more-or-less nebulous idea for a very long time. One cant help but be gobsmacked when that happens; that someone puts down in words so precisely, a sentiment you were almost certain you were doomed to experience without sharing with a kindred spirit. It engenders an amazingly strong feeling of kinship with that person. And when that person happens to be Alan Moore, it is all the more incredible! :)
12 comments:
Quite right. "Traffic in fiction," is a lovely phrase. Alan Moore listens.
Joy always,
Susan
Thankyou very much for sharing your response to the challenge. It was very lovely and I did actually find it really funny. I'll start a new challenge soon and hopefully you'll find them good for writing inspiration. Take care!
"even if you're dealing with areas of complete outrageous fantasy, that there is an emotional resonance."
Isn't that is why we have a fantasy world, that we always wish was within our reach?
Because somewhere we believe!
Big Fan.
Watchmen, V for vendetta...
it's not easy to write fiction, all the more difficult to pen those that make people dream...
Susan, Alan also creates fantastic worlds that carry that self-same emotional resonance of which he speaks here. I was watching a youtube video of him speaking, he gave me the impression of a scholar crossed with a shaman. :D
Book Florist, you're welcome. The pleasure was surely mine! Writing challenges are very stimulating! :) I loved the one that you set us.
Sakshi, exactly! At times, we need to believe, at other times, we long for suspension of disbelief for pretty much the same reason. ;)
mgeek, I know! He is brilliant like no other.
Hi..am new to your blog
Heard this somewhere.."A good book is like an axe for the frozen sea inside us"...
A first kiss,the light on a cold autumn day,boredom..and any unique human feeling provides us in the hands of a skilled author a feeling akin to the shock of self recognition.The author has located words to depict a situation we thought ourselves alone in feeling,and like two lovers thrilled to discover congruencies,the reader exclaims,My god,someone else feels this too!To have thought I was the only one..Ah the pleasures of reading:-)
At the risk of sounding a little "jerry maguire-esque", you had me at Alan Moore.
There're tonnes of his interviews over the years, about his work with graphic novels. He speaks with such passion about things that wouldn't even figure in another writer/artist's head.
Loved the last part about "emotional resonance"; where would any story, fiction or fact, matter without it?
I am going to look like such a philistine now (what's new!) compared to all the other comments on here but - I have no clue who Alan Moore is but his words certainly strike a chord! :P
And aaaahhhhh your post reminds me of one of my all time favourite quotes from 'The History Boys'... do you know it? Well, well worth a read or a watch if you ever get the chance...
"The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - that you'd thought special, particular to you. And here it is, set down by someone else, a person you've never met, maybe even someone long dead. And it's as if a hand has come out, and taken yours." just beautiful (both of em) :)
Arumugam, yes, exactly that feeling! :) Welcome to my blog, btw!
Sculptor, I found this quote in this particular interview.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvcPVxzhTLQ
Alan Moore is something else! :)
Sunrise, in that case I envy you. You are yet to discover him for the very first time. :) He's an awesome graphic novelist. And Hollywood's been adapting his books into movies with relative success. But as is inevitable, the books are better. Try V for Vendetta or The Watchmen. :)
Achha I didn't know Alan Moore either, but I've seen the trailer of The Watchmen (which I thought was brilliant),and I heard that the trailer was the best bit of the movie apparently. Definitely going to try to get my hands on his stuff
I got Watchmen today. Woohoo!
Riddhi, the book is way, way better! Seriously. Although I love the effect they've used for Rorschach's face in the movie. Zack Snyder's pretty great otherwise.
Ramya, wow! I am jealous! An actual print copy? I just have a pdf. Enjoy! :)
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