What do young writers 'fear'?

What are young writers "afraid" of when faced with the legacy of half a century of Vietnamese literature and the unprecedented changes of the digital age? That fear, although manifested in many forms, has the same origin: the desire to write differently, to reach for something new, but still being held back by both visible and invisible barriers...

The discussion "50 years of Vietnamese literature since 1975: Perspectives of young writers" recently held in Hanoi gathered many young writers and "old masters" in the profession such as poet Nguyen Quang Thieu - Chairman of the Vietnam Writers Association, poet Huu Viet - Head of the Young Writers Committee, Associate Professor, Doctor, critic Nguyen Dang Diep - Director of the Institute of Literature, Chairman of the Council of Literary Theory and Criticism (Vietnam Writers Association), writer Nguyen Ngoc Tu... is considered a forum for generations to interact, share concerns, passions and perspectives on new movements in Vietnamese literature.

Người viết văn trẻ 'sợ hãi' điều gì?- Ảnh 1. — Poet Nguyen Quang Thieu - Chairman of the Vietnam Writers Association spoke at the seminar

"Fear" of young writers before the 50-year heritage of Vietnamese literature

Young critic Le Thi Ngoc Tram opened her presentation with the story "Writing in the Shadow of Fears". She believes that young writers facing the legacy of half a century of literature and the storm of digital technology often carry fears: fear of the shadow of the previous generation, fear of censorship, fear of personal experiences being considered peripheral in classic literature or the digital age. They wonder if they have anything left to write in the dense forest.

At the discussion, she said she also had a fear: what would she say when many veteran writers had analyzed 50 years of literature? As a teacher, she noticed that students majoring in literature are often hesitant to share their feelings, afraid that they will not be what the teacher or the author wants, and want to know whether the writer is interested in the essay from their school days or not...

Sitting in the middle of a dialogue space that is expected to open up the spirit of self-reflection, writer Phung Thi Huong Ly pointed out the worries and concerns that young people are facing such as topic thinking, life experience and writing style. According to her, many young people carry within themselves the fear of "not being ethnic enough" - writing about the nation but being afraid of not being ethnic enough, leading to confining themselves to old traditional materials. Therefore, they create stories that no longer reflect real life.

Writer Phung Thi Huong Ly emphasized that the most dangerous fear is perhaps "misconceptions of value". In an era where a normal article can receive thousands of interactions, young people easily feel that they are "good enough" and forget the need to dig deeper. When virtual praise blurs the line between good and bad, literary standards become more fragile.

Another fear of young writers appears in the context of systemic challenges. Writer Nguyen Hoang Dieu Thuy pointed out that the publishing industry is experiencing low revenue, a narrowing creative playground, while society's ability to concentrate on reading has sharply decreased. Lack of a foundation of materials and support mechanisms - from creative funds, translation, publishing to international promotion - makes many young writers worry that even if their works are valuable, they will have difficulty reaching readers. This is the fear of being left behind, not because of weakness, but because circumstances "deprive them of opportunities".

Another fear that persists in the hearts of many young writers is the fear of repetition. At the "Young Writers" forum, writer Huong Ly also pointed out the fact that many manuscripts are written from the memories of previous generations, not reflecting the changes. That leads to the fear of "going backwards", when writers are afraid to go beyond their comfort zone...

Người viết văn trẻ 'sợ hãi' điều gì?- Ảnh 2. — At the discussion on the prospects of Vietnamese literature, the viewpoint that young people need to listen to tradition, dialogue with the present and courageously open the door to the future with their own voices stood out.

The aspiration to embark on the journey to find a new generation's own voice

From the perspective of the older generation, writer Nguyen Ngoc Tu calls the biggest obstacle for young writers "easily distracted". Online drama, visual pressure, and the saturation of entertainment content make them watch a lot but understand little, read a lot but... retain nothing. That distraction creates another fear: the fear of not being deep enough, not being durable enough, not being focused enough to create works of lasting value.

Meanwhile, writer Mac Yen warns of a special kind of fear: the fear of breaking out of socially accepted patterns. Therefore, young people "copy their own culture", leading to a situation where works only revolve around repetitive motifs.

The concern about the lack of generational connection is also evident in the sharing of doctor - author Tran Van Thien. There are even very modern fears: fear of AI replacing the profession; fear of harsh reactions online; fear of works being misunderstood before they have even taken shape. But the precious thing is that after all, young writers still keep the fire of wanting to go far.

After many hours of open discussion, with exchanges between generations and multi-dimensional perspectives, it can be seen that fear, in the end, is not a barrier. On the contrary, it becomes fuel for the younger generation to ask themselves what they want, where they dare to go, whether they are ready to step out of their comfort zone, continue to move and innovate after 50 years to open up new horizons for Vietnamese literature.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nguoi-viet-van-tre-so-hai-dieu-gi-1852511161927288.htm