Books Quote by Lily King
“Anthropological fieldwork is so much like writing a novel. Granted, you don't have the physical disruption and disorientation, but writing a novel is like entering a new culture. You don't know what the hell is going on. And every day you feel like you have nothing, you're going nowhere. Or you feel that first it's going somewhere, but then you get into that horrible middle part.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Art of Writing, 2015
Writing a novel mirrors fieldwork: both plunge you into unknown cultures and uncertainty.
In simple terms: Novel writing feels like exploring a new world.
Key Takeaway
Embrace uncertainty as creative fuel.
Themes
creativity
exploration
uncertainty
culture
Mood
reflective
curious
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- authoring a book
- research trips
- creative blocks
Key Concepts
anthropology
storytelling
identity
Questions to Reflect On
- What unknowns do you face in your work?
- How does uncertainty inspire you?
A Different Perspective
The analogy may oversimplify distinct challenges of each field.
![“Its [the anthropological method] power to make us understand the roots from which our civilization has sprung, that it impresses us with the relative value of all forms of culture, and thus serves as a check to an exaggerated valuation of the standpoint of our own period, which we are only too…” quote by Franz Boas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1dc/franz-boas-23198_benefits_its-the-anthropological-method-power-to_1731142.jpg)
