A lot of people misunderstand me because I’m an aspiring writer and an avid reader. They assume that I’ve read all the “classic greats”, but I really haven’t. Now that I’m older, I do understand the importance of reading widely, even texts that are far older than any of my living relatives, but I also still cock my head at the notion of what is regarded as “classic greats”. Maybe it’s because I’m a fantasy lover? Maybe it’s because I’m a 90s kid? Maybe it’s because I’m a diverse breed, in terms of the way I grew up and my ethnicity? Are the “classic greats” important to my Tongan heritage? To my Samoan heritage? My Swiss heritage? Would I have heard more about the Australian classics of that part of me if both of my parents were Australian? And are any of the “greatest classics” by anyone who I can actually relate to on those levels? As a female, I love Jane Austen’s work, but then when it comes to gender, sexuality and ethnicity, I actually don’t know what I have. Maybe I should look harder, and see if any of those “classic greats” are a bit closer to me. Because, no matter how much people say you should educate yourself on those classic texts, I don’t think I’ll ever care enough to get through the first chapter of Great Expectations.

Now, back to my point (I deviate a lot here), amongst the notion that I have read, know well and can dissect the classics in articulate essays about all theoretical aspects of writing, there’s also the idea that I can easily read most texts that are handed to me. My degree does not give me the ability to understand all kinds of literature. Even literature about literature can be written with such verbose language that it just feels like I’m trying to read elvish. I can usually hold my own when it comes to academic writing; it’s really just like not being able to speak a foreign language fluently, you translate enough to get the gist. It’s sometimes so strange to read English and have no clue what it says, but it happens.

Sometimes, being a writer is like being in a fandom; people accuse you of not being a genuine fan if you don’t tick boxes they set out, and I don’t agree with it. I do know I need to learn a lot more, but that doesn’t make me any less of a writer.

Well, those are just my thoughts for today.