Every time a child says, "I don't believe in fairies," there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead.
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie.
Children have an amazing ability to believe. They read Dumbo and believe he can fly. They believe there are mermaids living under the sea. That animals can talk. That if you wish on a star all your dreams come true.
Then children grow up.
We don't believe in magic the way we used to as a child. We learn to look for the logical explanation behind the things we don't understand. Sometimes, no matter how much we might want them, we even stop believing in our own dreams.
As a writer, I like to think the only thing that can hold us back is the ability to believe. I need to believe in the words I weave. Believe in the worlds I create. The characters who live there. Because, even though I know they aren't real, I have to believe in my characters. If I don't then why should a reader?
And maybe, when I write, I'm still that child who believes.
So I'll clap for the fairies... just in case.
6 comments:
My kids are at the age where they are believing less. I'm hoping to squeeze out one more Christmas before the belief in Santa vanishes, but I don't think that's going to happen. My almost 10 yo still believes, but my 8 yo is starting to question it. :(
And my 12 yo is on a mission to make sure they both keep believing so they all don't lose out on Santa's presents. lol
Me too, me too. Great post.
Excellent post, and so needed in my life right now, when I'm doubting my writing.
Ditto on all the above! If only we could all live in Disney World. It's impossible NOT to believe there! :)
It's a sad part of life that believe diminishes. Reminds me of the Pan movie with Julie Roberts and Robin Williams.
I love this post! This is one of the concepts behind the YA novel I'm querying now: what you believe in as a child and what you have to give up as an adult. Only, you don't really have to give it up at all. That's what my MC's learning.
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