What is the significance of creating something ``original'' rather than ``imitation'' or ``homage''?



When you're working on a piece of writing, you may find yourself unable to think of a good expression, quoting a famous poem to add atmosphere or depth, or simply saying something like, ``That's right'' to create sympathy or laughter. ``imitation'' or ``homage'' of other works may be used. William Pearce, co-editor of the American literary magazine

AGNI , talks about works that use imitation and homage on the theme of ``What is the value of writing?''

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As AGNI's editor, Pearce says he often sees works that include direct homages or obvious imitations. Such works are not just a repurposing of a structure or a plot, but are so thorough that they can be said to be clones of another writer's words and idioms, and the result is sometimes surprisingly good. .



Mr. Pearce also talked about his experience in jointly teaching a class on creative writing with a friend, in which they were asked to practice imitation. In class, even students who have not yet developed a sense for their own writing forms and expressions often make progress as soon as they come across forms of imitation that mesh well with their own thinking. 'I've seen time and time again that when people start imitating, they develop amazing intuitions about range, syntax, tempo, etc.,' Pearce says of the effects of imitation.

However, imitation serves as an engine for creation, but when the completed work is submitted as an entry to a literary magazine, it is difficult to understand what gives it value in creation and what is the value of creation. 'It brings back the question of whether it constitutes something,' Pearce points out.

Creation can be said to be a monumental task in which you develop a story by arranging time, space, and people on an endless blank page. Imitation takes the limitlessness out of a blank page and limits it to a certain direction and style, allowing you to focus on your creative practice. However, just like the work of translation, this is a series of acts of ``choosing'' whether to inherit the rhythm, tone, emotion, etc. of the work that is the source of imitation. Only originals,” Pierce said.



Even when we try to write something that no one has written before, we use the writings, illustrations, and videos of our predecessors, including our own experiences, even for the smallest details. As Pearce puts it, 'Writing relies on borrowing on every level.' The only work that does not rely on borrowing and for which it is difficult for an editor to advise that it is better to do so is where the writer puts his or her full self into the work. Pearce says that having more energy and being able to see the outline of your world on the page, even in imitation, is the value that all writers want to reach. Masu.

“In order for a work to be worthwhile, or even to be successful, the artist himself or herself must be deeply involved in the work,” Pearce said. Writing imaginative sentences is a writer's true passion, but it is always a high-stakes gamble. It's difficult to tell someone what imaginative expression is, and it's also impossible to claim that the finished product is imaginative writing. Still, good writing has some value by definition, and we as readers have a certain form, so writers should always develop their imagination in order to feel 'encounters with value.' is important.

in Note, Posted by log1e_dh