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I don’t know How To Write —Isaac Asimov

For my recent birthday I received Isaac Asimov’s “Nightfall and Other Stories” and “I, Robot”. I remembered him as a great author from when I was younger, but hadn't read anything of his for around 15 or so years.

So... yeah, they’re very dated, and it’s rather weird that one story has the sympathetic character of Susan Calvin casually address robot workers as “boy” — was that supposed to be social commentary or did Asimov just think that’s how the “servant race” should be addressed?? But I’m not here to rag on a beloved sci-fi fave, I’m here to quote one particular bit that spoke to me in the preface to “Nightfall”:

As far as writing is concerned, I am a complete and utter primitive. I have no formal training at all and to this day I don’t know How To Write.

Honestly makes me feel a little better about my own writing, lmao.