Creative writing Quote by Elif Shafak
““...why is it that, in creative writing courses today, the very first thing we teach students is write what you know? Perhaps that's not the right way to start at all. Imaginative literature is not necessarily about writing who we are or what we know or what our identity is about. We should teach young people and ourselves to expand our hearts and write what we can feel. We should get out of our cultural ghetto and go visit the next one and the next.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Guardian, “Elif Shafak on Writing”, 2015
Encourages writers to move beyond personal experience and explore broader emotions and cultures.
In simple terms: Write from feeling, not just personal knowledge.
Key Takeaway
Expand empathy, write beyond your own background.
Themes
creativity
empathy
cultural awareness
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- creative writing workshops
- high school curricula
- personal memoirs
- travel writing
Key Concepts
identity
imagination
emotional intelligence
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance personal truth with imaginative empathy?
- What cultures could you explore through writing?
A Different Perspective
May dilute authenticity if not grounded in lived experience.
