AUTHOR REFLECTIONS

It’s Still Magic

Don’t shy away from understanding creativity.

I love this quote from the famous novelist, Terry Pratchett:

“It’s still magic, even if you know how it’s done.”

Pratchett wrote about fantasy worlds full of magic and monsters, but the quote applies just as much to the creative process itself. There is magic there, and a mystery.

I can understand that people don’t want to look ‘beneath the hood’. They don’t really want to think too much about where ideas come from, or how to develop their creativity.

That would seem to spoil the fun, in a way.

However…

I think that just like an athlete can benefit from knowing about nutrition and a teacher from knowing about the science of learning, it is hugely helpful for a writer to understand creativity.

It’s not about taking the magic away. Rather, it’s ensuring that you have all the equipment necessary to play the game.

And ultimately, that’s going to be a lot more fun.

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