Write Or Live
First, the title. It’s a reference to an anime I watched a long time ago, when I was looking for something original (no “giant robots piloted by teens” or “schoolgirls everyday life”), “Read Or Die”. The title was not really intriguing, but, as (japanese) anime title sometimes tend to go, a red herring. The main character only as the ability to weaponize paper. That’s it. No deep stuff related to reading, except she really love to read. A lot.
But that’s not the purpose of this post. I wrote a short fiction text weeks ago, because my imagination is wild, and I often became frustrated to not making anything out of it. That and the fact that writing is elevated to such an high standard. Obviously, it should, as it is art, but, at the same time, the question “Can everybody make art ?” is also too easily answered (“yes”).
Can everybody write ? I don’t know. I think the question is a bit dubious, and for once, I will simply state “Write if you want”. Because, by removing the art quality of the writing, I found a remaining quality that I like: Creation. So “Can anybody create ?” Yup, sure. You’re free to put whatever you want in your creation, don’t limit yourself. Before being under the scrutiny of art experts, you’ll have a reason, a goal for your creation.
Just don’t bother trying to please to an ever fleeing definition. I view a creation as a “rendering of something abstract”, and beyond this definition, a way to make something of an concept, a thought. Some of my ideas or not about narration, but rather universe, cities, and the way they work (system wise), or what they should look like (aesthetics). That’s why I really interested in VR, as it is the best way to feel an universe : Being in it.
And for the narration, it’s a big word I shouldn’t use. Let’s say, stories, as in “what if two AI fell in love, what would it be like ?”. So, from this idea, I try to expand on it. I had ideas like this as far as I remember, but it’s only “recently” (a few years), by trying to “defend” science-fiction as an interesting genre that I knew I could use it in a way I like.
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Defending SciFi, but why, from whom ? Meeting some people saying “I’m not into that kind of stuff”, I was always rebutted. Why ? Well, why not, after all, I’m not into medieval ambiances, but I could somehow figure out what it could be interesting. What about a Sherlock Holmes like story in an era where science can be seen wicked, where politics is a strong domain requiring a lot of skills (well, it will always be the case…). I can see the constraints of a thriller with this setting.
What bothers me is I don’t witness the same curiosity about SciFi and what it allow : A love story between time travellers, What is left to feel human when you’re not organic / your mind is not unique, etc. Those stories can hardly be told with a classic world. SciFi abolish the obstacles of the world, namely, the impossible, to provide unique, very interesting, strange premises. From “the killer was his him from the future” (how ?), to speak about escaping depression, to “cheap hi frequency workers” to address socio-economics. That what I see in science-fiction. So when I hear “little green guys and spaceship, not my cup of tea”, I can’t resist the urge to question those assumptions.
Of couse, if after all this explanation, I can’t convince, I just give up. The right to make a choice is important both for me and for anyone, and I want to stick to it, but, I privilege educated choices over others.
Stories seeds pop up nearly everyday in my head, and I want to see them grow, rather to cut them short. So my stories won’t always be good, interesting, or even well written (English is not my native language).
But I just don’t care: I will write.
p.s: It’s not really a disclaimer, but rather a self motivation post :)
