His claim to his home is deep, but there are too many ghosts. He must absorb without being absorbed.
Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.
I must try desperately to absorb all information I can about the Middle East. I want to excel. I want to speak articulately about the politics of the Middle East and its religion.
Be like a sponge when it comes to each new experience. If you want to be able to express it well, you must first be able to absorb it well.
Everyone says I should really savour the last year, play as much as possible, really soak everything in. I'd most like to sit on the bench, or, even better, in the stands.
Live an active life among people who are doing worthwhile things, keep eyes and ears and mind and heart open to absorb truth, and then tell of the things you know, as if you know them. The world will listen, for the world loves nothing so much as real life.
Become like a sheet of blotting paper and soak it all in. Later on you can figure out what to keep and what to unload.
I think the best way to become a character is by osmosis as opposed to thinking directly about stuff.
If you aren't listening, you are missing out.
It's the desire to study the human condition, the desire for collaboration, to learn and absorb, and to lead a well-examined life.
You've got to be a good reader. So whatever genre that you're interested in, read a lot of books about it and it's better than any kind of writing class you'll ever take. You will absorb techniques and then in a lot of cases you can just start writing using the style of the book or the author that you admire and then your own style will emerge out of that. Be a diligent reader and then try to write seriously, professionally and approach everything in writing in a professional way.
