"When I write now I do not invent situation, characters, or actions, but rather structures and discursive forms, textual groupings which are combined according to secret affinities among themselves, as in architecture or the plastic arts"
- Juan Goytisolo
About this Quote
Juan Goytisolo's quote speaks to the idea of writing as an art type, rather than a method of storytelling. He suggests that instead of developing characters, situations, and actions, he is more focused on producing structures and discursive types. This indicates that he is more concerned with the total structure of his writing, and the way it is presented, than with the narrative aspects. He likens this procedure to architecture and the plastic arts, suggesting that he is trying to find secret affinities in between the elements of his writing, in order to develop a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing whole. This quote speaks with the concept that composing can be an art kind, which the structure and presentation of the writing can be simply as important as the narrative elements.
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