Neil Gaiman wrote that Sir Terry Pratchett had an inner anger that drove him to write. Sir Terry told him “Do not underestimate this anger. This anger was the engine that powered Good Omens.”
When I read the article I thought perhaps that was his way of writing, but I couldn't see it working for me. I write when the 'Wee blighters' give me something to work with. Well I was wrong. I have an anger, an overwhelming, consuming, eating away at me, type of anger. The sort that has you ready with both barrels loaded, waiting for the poor unlucky soul who says or does the tiniest thing wrong. It won't be something big, but it will be the last straw, the burst balloon, the breached dam. It will release the dark tide of bubbling black rage upon them like an emotional tsunami. It isn't their fault of course, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
That brings me to the reason for my anger. The total selfish attitude of my 'fellow man.' I use that term loosely, as I have no fellowhip with many of the people on this planet. Hundreds of thousands of humans beings have found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. It wasn't their fault, they had the misfortune to be born and live in what has become a war zone. Yet so many of my 'fellow men' are whining about these poor people as if they chose to be 
there, and are just using it as an excuse to get out and better their lives. Apparently some of my 'fellow men' believe if they really wanted, they could fight back and stop the war. Really?
there, and are just using it as an excuse to get out and better their lives. Apparently some of my 'fellow men' believe if they really wanted, they could fight back and stop the war. Really?
How many thousands were displaced by the second world war in Europe? I don't recall seeing anything in the history books about signs saying 'Our country is full – go away.' I know there is a security risk with the tide of refugees (I refuse to call them immigrants), but does that justify writing off hundreds of thousands of innocent lives?
I just hope it's one of these 'fellow men' on the receiving end of my anger, not some poor unfortunate person who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and who won't have a clue what just happened.
On a positive note, the anger has woken the 'Wee blighters' and my writing is being driven from deep inside me. Whether it makes me a better writer only time will tell, but at least I now know what Sir Terry meant.
No comments:
Post a Comment