The Journey or the Arriving?

by Isabella Hynde
20th March 2012

Anthony Scott Glenn answered Victoria Limbert's question, 'The Passage of Time' with this, 'Sometimes it is the journey that is the most important part'. (I've taken it out of context)

Is the Journey the most important part of your writing endeavours or is the Arriving? The Arriving will be different things to different people. It might be getting published for some. It might be the satisfaction of hearing people make positive comments about your work. For others still it might the act of creation that is the important part. I would like to know what you find the most important part of writing.

Replies

I think a story can never end, and a character can never live 'happily ever after'. Realistically although their main trials may be finished lesser trials may crop up in their more normal life. After all, the character's loved ones may die, they may have problems in their own life, and of course, they themselves have to die eventually.

A gloomy prospect, but I think the journey is taken to reach the destination and this destination must bring some sort of change to the character's life. So really, both journey and destination are just as important as each other; they can not exist without.

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Adam
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Adam Turner
21/03/2012

Victoria, many of the world's great voices have come from those who know what it is to be an 'outwalker.' No one escapes grief and disappointment, but some must cope with things less in the common mainstream, and legends too, were never made out of the everyday. Time allow for many possibilities. Please don't worry about your comments.

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Katie-Ellen
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Katie-Ellen Hazeldine
21/03/2012

I believe it is all a matter of perspective, at least that is true for me. One compliments the other and makes us appreciate it more.

When I am writing, I dream, envision, of the end! That final full stop, the day I'll find an agent, the day I'll get published and so on. The end is what puts me on the path, I start the journey because of the end I dream and want.

Once I get there, I know from now the feeling of accomplishment will only last for a while, and then I will start missing, and appreciating more the journey I took to get to that end.

That is when I will dream of another end, another story, and get on the path once again and begin a new journey.

All journeys must have an end, otherwise there is no point to it, but if there is no journey to your final goal, then it will seem pointless.

You need both, and they both add something to the experience as whole :D

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