Circles Quote by Tim O'Brien
“But the thing about remembering is that you don't forget. You take your material where you find it, which is in your life, at the intersection of past and present. The memory-traffic feeds into a rotary up on your head, where it goes in circles for a while, then pretty soon imagination flows in and the traffic merges and shoots off down a thousand different streets. As a writer, all you can do is pick a street and go for the ride, putting things down as they come at you. That's the real obsession. All those stories.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Art of Memory in Writing, The New Yorker, 2012
Memory intertwines past and present, creating a mental traffic jam that fuels imagination; writers choose a path to explore stories.
In simple terms: Our memories shape imagination, guiding creative choices.
Key Takeaway
Harness memory to inspire creative direction.
Themes
memory
imagination
creativity
writing
storytelling
Mood
contemplative
inspired
Type
creative
metacognitive
When to use this quote
- authorial process
- brainstorming sessions
- creative workshops
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
cognitive flow
narrative construction
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- Which memory will you follow to start a new story?
- How does past experience limit or expand imagination?
A Different Perspective
Memory can be chaotic and overwhelming.
![“Tell them you came, and saw, and looked into my eyes and saw the shadow of the guard receding. Thoughts in time and out of season, the hitchinker stood by the side of the road and levelled his thumb in the calm calculus of reason. [...] Why does my mind circle around you? Why do planets wonder…” quote by Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9ae/jim-morrison-1692_bird_tell-them-you-came-and-saw-and-looked-in_18280.jpg)