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RAISE YOUR VOICE 19

Confessions of a “Any new ideas or progress,

“Any new ideas or progress,
“Any new ideas or progress,
“Any new ideas or progress,
by definition, begin as works of fiction
by definition, begin as works of fiction
Confused Creative Writer by definition, begin as works of fiction
because they haven’t
THE IMPORTANCE OF READING FICTION yet been realised. "

BY SHRUTI KOTHARI

You’d be surprised, but I wasn’t the best student in for reading fiction, for one very simple reason. Richard Branson said that J. M.
said that J. M.
elementary school. I had very little interest in the When we read non-fiction, we stay in a world that Barrie’s Peter Pan is his favourite
’s Peter Pan is his favourite
character, and that the book
germination of a mung bean, or the effects of a already exists, with ideas that have already been had character, and that the book
magnet on iron filings. Circle time was the hardest and experiments that have been tried. Any new ideas changed his life. He credits much
changed his life. He credits much
for me, because you were completely exposed and or progress, by definition, begin as works of fiction of his success to thinking like a
of his success to thinking like a
expected to participate; you couldn’t get away with because they haven’t yet been realised. Fantasy trains toddler, and seeing opportunity
toddler, and seeing opportunity
inattention. My teachers thought I was quiet, but I your imagination, which is the most important aspect where others see obstacles.
where others see obstacles.
was just mentally far away. of creating something fresh. The more fiction you
e fiction you
I always chose to wear shorts to school, because The concept of humans flying far precedes the read, the more lives you
the uniform version had huge pockets, pockets big invention of planes or even rockets; seven-league- live, the more places you
enough to fit even the thickest novels. I’d top those boots were one of the early high-speed vehicles. The travel, the more beings
with the extra-warm school-issue cardigans, which I pluck of certain characters can inspire you to think you meet, far beyond
the confines of the extant
wore even during playtime on the hardcourt under the in ways you thought were impossible; one of my the confines of the extant
dimensions of this world.
midday sun, because they’d hide the misshapen bulges favourites, Tamora Pierce’s Alanna, dressed up as a dimensions of this world.
Especially in a world that is
of the books, and occasionally host extra tomes, too. boy to become a knight, Especially in a world that is
I read everything I could get my hands on, with and the strength of her increasingly automated, the
increasingly automated, the
one condition: it had to be fiction, and preferably determination helped highest form of currency is
highest form of currency is
imagination, and the easiest
fantasy. I became adept at the geography of kingdoms dictate how I dealt with imagination, and the easiest
way to earn it is by picking
that didn’t exist, and could recite the genealogy of various situations that way to earn it is by picking
up a book full of stories that
royal houses that never lived. Dragons were par for arose after I encountered up a book full of stories that
the course, as were sirens, hippogriffs, and witches her. never were.
who shared an eye amongst them. It’s not just me,
Now, with the laser-focus on streamlining studies it’s a phenomenon. For
and getting into the best universities, people start example, Elon Musk
reading non-fiction books from the get-go, somehow said that Isaac Asimov’s
convinced that the practical knowledge they imbibe Foundation series, which he re-read more than once,
is far superior to make-believe. Non-fiction is healthy was fundamental to the creation of SpaceX, and
and informative, certainly, but it’s not a replacement that makes sense given the books’ futuristic outlook.

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