📅 Thought for today:
‘The mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness.’
— Sir William Golding
#thoughtfortoday #mask #shame #self #WilliamGolding #LordoftheFlies #author #writer #rubbish
Golding wrote “Lord of the Flies” in 1954, and I remember reading it sometime in the 1970s.
As you would expect, as a teenager, the book left a big impression on me.
And even today, working as I do with people who wear masks, I think it is keenly observed and still interesting.
The early drafts had a different title, “Strangers from Within” and was described by one publisher as “Rubbish & dull. Pointless”.
Yet another example of a popular piece of creative work being rejected (at first).
The draft was edited and renamed “Lord of the Flies” by Monteith and the rest is history.
I was drawn to the quote initially because of the human tendency to wear masks to hide shame, however, I also realised that as the date draws closer for me to pitch my own book draft to agents next month I am confident that regardless of the response I have created something worthwhile.
