Writing is like walking in a deserted street. Out of the dust in the street you make a mud pie

Writing is like walking in a deserted street. Out of the dust in the street you make a mud pie

John le Carré, the renowned British author of espionage novels, once famously said, “Writing is like walking in a deserted street. Out of the dust in the street you make a mud pie.” This quote perfectly encapsulates the creative process of writing, especially in the context of le Carré’s own works.

Le Carré, whose real name is David Cornwell, is known for his intricate plots, complex characters, and realistic portrayal of the world of espionage. His novels often delve into the moral ambiguity of the intelligence world, where nothing is black and white, and the line between good and evil is blurred. In order to create such compelling narratives, le Carré must navigate the deserted streets of his imagination, piecing together fragments of ideas and experiences to form a cohesive whole.

Like walking in a deserted street, writing can be a solitary and sometimes lonely endeavor. It requires the writer to delve deep into their own thoughts and emotions, to confront their fears and insecurities, and to grapple with the complexities of the human condition. In the case of le Carré, this process is further complicated by the subject matter of his novels, which often deal with betrayal, deception, and the murky world of international espionage.

The “dust in the street” that le Carré refers to could be seen as the raw material of his writing – the fragments of ideas, memories, and experiences that he gathers and molds into a coherent narrative. Just as a child playing in the dirt can create something beautiful out of mud, le Carré uses his imagination and creativity to shape his stories into compelling works of fiction.