I Want to Write like a Carnival Barker…says George Saunders QUOTES FOR WRITERS

If I think of a story as something that has to convey a certain message, as a train that has to pull into a certain station at a certain time and myself as the stressed-out engineer trying to make that happen – it’s too much. I freeze up and no fun is had.

But if I imagine myself as a sort of genial carnival barker, trying to usher you into my magical black box, the workings of which I don’t fully understand – that, I can do.

“What’s going to happen to me in there?” you ask.
“I really don’t know.” I say, “but I promise I’ve done my best to make it thrilling and non-trivial.”
“Will there be any joy in there?” you ask.
“Well, I hope so,” I say. “I mean, that’s what I was trying to feel as I made it, so…”

George Saunders, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain

Photo Credit: Joss Broward on Unsplash