John Irving was a writer before he had children. But he admits that having a child at an early age changed his world view – as is the case for most parents. For Irving, this shift in perspective had an affect on his writing as well.
“Becoming a father at a young age -- at 22 -- made the world a different place for me; a place I was afraid of. I didn’t want what happened to me as a child to happen to my children.”
As Irving points out, much of his writing is about setting up characters to care about and then hurting them. Doing to them the things he hopes will never happen to his own children.
Let that be a lesson to all writers. Want to change your writing? Have a kid, and you’ll care more than you ever knew you could!
Learn more about John Irving at the link below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Irving
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Eric D. Goodman is a professional, published writer and editor. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Baltimore Review, Writers Weekly, and On Stage Magazine.
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Comments: 21
an interesting musical take on this idea is Mother: Songs Celebrating Mothers and Motherhood a collaboration among Susan McKeown, Cathie Ryan, and Robin Speilberg, who were each at quite different places in their experiences of motherhood while preparing it.
Children change us. For the better. We connect on a much deeper level to EVERYTHING A.C. - after children.
Children change us. For the better. We connect on a much deeper level to EVERYTHING A.C. - after children.
Interesting perspective, I don't have children, but I wonder if the Brothers Grimm felt the same way as Irving does:
"As Irving points out, much of his writing is about setting up characters to care about and then hurting them. Doing to them the things he hopes will never happen to his own children."
When they wrote the tales we all grew up with.
Thank you so much.