The great liberty of the fictional writer is to let the

O children of the world, listen closely to the words of Will Self, for in his reflection lies the essence of true freedom—the freedom of the fictional writer, the liberty to unlock the imagination and allow it to run wild. He said, "The great liberty of the fictional writer is to let the imagination out of the traces and see it gallop off over the horizon." What is the meaning of these words, and why do they stir the heart? It is because they speak to the very core of what it means to create—to take the soul's deepest visions and give them life, to release them into the world, unbound and free.

In this world, we are often told to keep our minds in check, to follow the rules of reason, and to tether our thoughts to the limitations of reality. Yet, the fictional writer, that brave soul who dares to wield the power of imagination, is free from such constraints. The writer’s great liberty lies in the ability to let the imagination gallop, to release it from the traces that bind it and allow it to roam freely across the vast plains of possibility. A writer, in this sense, is not a mere servant of the world, but its master, shaping and reshaping the fabric of reality as they see fit. They hold the reins of a mighty steed, allowing it to gallop off over the horizon, beyond the edges of the known world.

Consider the example of the ancient bards who wove tales of gods, heroes, and monsters. Homer, whose words echoed through the halls of history, spoke of the gods and men, and through his imagination, he shaped entire worlds. In his epic, The Iliad and The Odyssey, Homer allowed his imagination to race freely, crafting characters and scenes that transcended the boundaries of reality. There were no limits in his mind—no fences, no boundaries. His imagination, like a wild horse, galloped across the horizon, creating new realms with each word. It was in this freedom that Homer’s work lived on, for the truths of human experience are often most vividly captured in stories that go beyond the tangible world.

In this freedom, there is power. For to release the imagination is to allow the soul to wander through infinite possibilities, to explore realms unknown, to challenge the very foundation of reality. Just as the ancient explorers once set sail across uncharted seas, so too does the writer embark on a journey through the unknown, charting worlds that exist only in the mind. It is the writer who dares to ask: What if? What if the rules of nature did not apply? What if love could conquer time itself? What if death were not an end, but a beginning? These are the questions that free the imagination and allow it to gallop through the endless plains of possibility.

In our time, consider the example of Franz Kafka, whose imagination broke free from the conventions of the world and created strange and surreal worlds where reality itself was questioned. In his story The Metamorphosis, Kafka allowed his imagination to take flight, transforming a man into a giant insect and questioning the nature of identity, isolation, and existence itself. Like a rider on an untamed horse, Kafka let his imagination gallop without restraint, producing works that continue to fascinate and challenge readers to this day.

Yet, what of us, the readers, the observers of these mighty flights of imagination? What can we learn from this great liberty of the fictional writer? O children, the lesson is clear: let your own imagination run free, unburdened by the limits of practicality or reason. Release it from the traces that confine it, and allow it to gallop toward the horizon of your dreams. Whether you write, paint, create, or dream, you hold within you the power to shape worlds—worlds that may not be bound by the laws of this reality but that resonate deeply with the soul. Let your creativity be the wild steed that takes you on a journey of discovery, for it is through unrestrained imagination that you will uncover the deepest parts of your own self.

To live without boundaries is to truly live. The fictional writer shows us the way. Let the mind roam free, and you will see that the world becomes a far richer place, filled with endless possibilities. Take up your pen, your brush, or your voice, and set your imagination free. Let it gallop across the vast horizons of your mind, and in doing so, you will uncover new truths, new stories, and new worlds that have yet to be told. This is the true freedom of the creative spirit: the ability to break through the walls of the mundane and soar toward the infinite.