"You want the book to be special, and they are not always going to be special, but at least you want that to be the ambition. So the only way that happens is if you are not pressing to write a book"
About this Quote
In this quote, Michael Lewis, a distinguished author and reporter, assesses the innovative procedure of composing a book. He begins by revealing a basic desire that numerous writers share: the goal for their work to be unique. The concept of "special" here can be analyzed as creating something unique, impactful, and significant, both to the author and to the readers.
Lewis acknowledges a key reality in the creative process: not every book will accomplish this unique quality. This admission highlights the fundamental unpredictability and variability in creative endeavors. Regardless of an author's best shots and intentions, some works may not reach the level of significance or originality that was at first visualized. However, he suggests that the aim or ambition for a book to be unique need to always remain a driving force in writing.
The latter part of the quote uses insight into Lewis's perspective on how such ambitious and special works can come to fulfillment. He implies that when a writer is too focused or "pressing" to produce an unique book, this pressure may counterproductively prevent the creative procedure. This notion recommends that imagination typically flourishes in states of flexibility and spontaneity, rather than under the stress of self-imposed expectations or external pressures.
Lewis's words can be seen as promoting for a more natural and less forced technique to composing. By not "pushing" to compose a book, an author permits ideas to flow more naturally, cultivating an environment where individuality and significance can emerge organically. This method underscores the value of balancing aspiration with the acceptance of the creative procedure's unforeseeable nature.
In essence, Lewis's quote is a suggestion that while the pursuit of developing an unique book is honorable and worthwhile, achieving this goal frequently needs patience, openness, and a desire to let the innovative procedure unfold without undue pressure.