Just a couple of days back, on August 22nd, we got to tip our hats to the legendary Ray Douglas Bradbury on what would have been his 102nd birthday. Imagine, all of the magic and wonder he’s gifted us! I want to dedicate this article to praise this master wordsmith.
Now, when we talk about Bradbury, we’re talking about a storyteller who’s not just dipped his toes but has done the full-on cannonball into the vast pool of creativity. His stories are like a roller coaster ride through genres, from heart-pounding science fiction to soul-stirring fiction. Ever heard of one of his most known novel “Fahrenheit 451”, where books are outlawed, or “The Martian Chronicles”, a universal adventure that’ll leave you starry-eyed? “Something Wicked This Way Comes”, where the ordinary becomes spine-tinglingly extraordinary or the hauntingly beautiful “Dandelion Wine”, a nostalgic trip through the wonders of summer or the cosmic contemplations of “The Illustrated Man”, a man covered in tattoos that come alive with stories of their own. Those are only some of his gems that have left us in awe. I am so glad I have read it all.
Photo by Joachim Pressl on Unsplash
Bradbury wasn’t just a “scribbler” of words; he was a sorcerer who casted spells with his stories. And his writing to me is like a rabbit hole leading to a world where the unbelievable becomes oh-so-believable, and everyday stuff takes on a magical glow. You just cannot expect what comes next which is the beauty of the fictional work in my opinion.
I’d like to raise a metaphorical toast to this name beause Bradbury’s stories aren’t just tales; they’re invitations to a fantastic adventure. They’re like that secret passage to a land where anything is possible. If you don’t believe me you can always find out yourself; his dancing with words will tickle your imagination, I promise.
And besides his literary and magical world of writing he also focused the zen of writing, just like his book’s name. I have mentioned in one of my articles about it but besides his all other works, he also write a memoir for us to tell his own story. Plus, there are some the tips I would gladly accept to see in my life as well. These were some of them I noted after I read his book:
Write Like It’s Breathing: That is right, Bradbury was all about making writing a part of his daily rhythm. It’s like flexing your writing muscles, and you can trust me on this one, they get stronger. The reason I always telling myself why should I write daily comes from his attitude towards writing.
Read ‘Till Your Heart’s Content: He was all for munching on a buffet of genres. And this is why he is definitely on my top list. Among the books I have read, I haven’t seen a write who managed to bear various genres and narratives this well. I was genuinely surprised because the solid idea that I couldn’t change in my mind was “If an author is good at a genre, it is less likely to be good on another one”. He proved that wrong for me and I was so happy to experience that with his books and mind.
Chase Your Muse: Bradbury taught me to chase passions with the fervor of a kid chasing an ice cream truck. Write about what ignites that fire within you or a part of you. They were looking so simple yet effective since he was writing about topics from his life and coming up with that ideas. Because these themes and keywords were from his own life.
Befriend Rejection: Yeah, that one is mostly difficult. Bradbury knew it wasn’t a full stop but a comma. Rejections fuel the determination to do better. I believe, this is an approach of a person with a high mentality.
Enjoy the Writing Process: It’s like turning words into a delicious dish. Doesn’t have to be a great looking one yet it could be fun to prepare.
Soak Up Your Life: Bradbury’s secret sauce? Living! Get out there, experience things, and then tell those adventures into your tales. Seriously, I just mention that he was getting ideas from his life. Easier said than done because not everyone can feel the life and the moment as it should be. We are so busy on denying the beauty of our lives sometimes which creates a tunnel vision.
Revise Like a Wizard: First drafts are like rough diamonds. Bradbury knew the sparkle comes when you polish them into something brilliant. Although some other authors don’t agree on revisioning all the time, I also cannot move on without revising. I wholeheartedly believe that this process on writing is releasing your imagination out and each time you revise you improve it as well. Isn’t it amazing?
Stay Curious: Needless to say that this is our fuel for being human but not just a writer.
I believe we all should bow our head, show some respect and celebrate our precessors existence. They are like a guidance in a lost wood, a lighthouse in a deep darkness of depressive periods of our lives.
Requiescat in pace.
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