March 25th, 2010 / 7:29 pm
Craft Notes

Teabaggers teach me something about writing: magical thinking


Watch CBS News Videos Online

“There are millions of people across the country who wish you ill, and all of those thoughts that are projected on you will materialize into something that’s not very good for you. We don’t have to do anything but sit back and wish.”

There are times when I have a character in a story who I wish and wish and wish ill upon. Unless the crazy, teabagging magical thinker transcribed from the news report above, though, when I’m writing my wishes can come true. I’m an author. I am in control. I am God/a god/etc. here.

Sometimes, though, it might be helpful to ignore that wish. Maybe most of the time. Maybe most of the time, it would be detrimental to the story, to the story’s world, to be the vengeful et cetera.

I mean, nothing will happen to Stupak because millions of people across the country wish him ill. Not from the wishing. Why should I always get what I want just because I’m in control?

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14 Comments

  1. JonCone

      Frightening.

  2. Web Stuff In Lit Thoughts

      […] Matthew Simmons talks about Teabaggers and Magical Thinking. […]

  3. ZZZZIPP

      IT MUST BE HARD TO READ A TELEPROMPTER

  4. ZZZZIPP

      IT MUST BE HARD TO READ A TELEPROMPTER

  5. ZZZZIPP

      THERE ARE AT LEAST FOUR MANIACS IN THE UNITED STATES

  6. ZZZZIPP

      THERE ARE AT LEAST FOUR MANIACS IN THE UNITED STATES

  7. Jhon Baker

      ZZZZIPP, that’s the funniest thing I’ve read all day. I sit back and wish you well.
      I don’t think that the teabaggers wishing it has gotten our president killed, and hopefully it will not.

  8. Jhon Baker

      ZZZZIPP, that’s the funniest thing I’ve read all day. I sit back and wish you well.
      I don’t think that the teabaggers wishing it has gotten our president killed, and hopefully it will not.

  9. andrew sierra

      I had a friend who met stupak one morning after having a conversation with him over the phone the day before (during the obligatory phone campaigning, if you had a question the volunteer on the phone couldn’t answer, he would come on and discuss it with you) stupak came over to his house the next morning and ate eggs with him while discussing policy

      what a weird/cool/politically savvy dude

  10. andrew sierra

      I had a friend who met stupak one morning after having a conversation with him over the phone the day before (during the obligatory phone campaigning, if you had a question the volunteer on the phone couldn’t answer, he would come on and discuss it with you) stupak came over to his house the next morning and ate eggs with him while discussing policy

      what a weird/cool/politically savvy dude

  11. Adam Robinson

      that video made me sad and stressed out

  12. Adam Robinson

      that video made me sad and stressed out

  13. zusya
  14. zusya