This is insanely accurate. For the most part. Except for the narcissist part. Some are, but I’d argue the dichotomy bw narcissism and insecurity. Though one does beg the other. I’ve written about so much of what I’m reading here. That not everyone who writes is a writer, that we are just different and yes often misunderstood bc why not, that we see the world with a much wider lens, and think more deeply than the rest, that writers are born not made. But I also do love my MFA. And wouldn’t have honed my craft as well without it. I just wish I knew how to mint money from it. Another enjoyable and relatable piece. 👏🏼
I like your perspective on how writers seem to be. I agree that creative people can come through as unique in some people's eyes and I like that. I have been a creative person since I was young. But it has only been a couple of years now since I realized how much I enjoy writing fiction. I enjoy writing other things as well but diving deep into my imagination is the most fun to me. Excellent post though Michael.
I found this to be a very enjoyable read and enjoyed your perspective on writers.
I've been an Indie Author now for 10 years and have found that it isn't an easy road. You are in this profession because you love it. Not for the notoriety or the fame. You do intend to show your readers your perspective on the world and hope that they share the same perspective or that you in fact provide them a new onw.
"the history of 20th century writers and writing cannot be ignored" Yes! I want to scream this every time I hear people make the "it's all just a construct" argument. And you're right to cite the existence of a kind of writer's "tribe." It wasn't confidence in my ideas that made me want to write: that came later. But reading the Art of Fiction interviews and realizing: these are my people. That understanding will do a lot more for any prospective writer than any amount of practical writing advice.
It's difficult for writers to stand up for their profession and art nowadays because it seems like we're asking for special privileges and stuff like that. In reality, all we really want is the same thing as other professions: the right to judge within our domain, the right of exclusivity, the right to be eccentric like hell and the right to believe we are more special than everybody else. Like every other profession does. I don't go out and tell truck drivers that they're not allowed to feel exclusive and special about themselves. But it feels different because "to publish" comes from the Latin publicare: to make public. (Which is also why we have a right to an opinion about Roald Dahl even if his estate is corrupted: literature is a gift to the public, a gift to us readers)
You caught me as I'm reading *The Happiest Man Alive*, almost certainly on your recommendation. Reading this outstanding biography of Henry Miller brings me right back to when I started writing a few years ago, when my first writing teacher suggested that I read Sexus, and that I might find an affinity not just with Miller's work, but his worldview and way of being. I find myself re-learning in my writing now what another teacher transmitted to me, that we are well advised to "write like you talk," which he said came from Miller as well—and it does, but apparently, actually, from advice given to him by his friend and reader, Emil Schnellock. You, my friend, perhaps more than anyone I know here, actually succeed in doing that, writing like you talk. It doesn't always make for perfect syntax, but who the fuck cares about that. Well done.
Are "we" "different" as a category? I don't know if I'd claim so, but perhaps also only because I resist so very strongly putting myself in a category with *anyone* (aside from you, and you and all of you that I do choose to align myself with—but *all* writers? no.) Do I feel different though, perhaps not made for the world of work, 'born' an artist? I think we all are. I mean: fuck work, really. Work is for civilians—that is, others who haven't figured out how to do otherwise—and there should really, ideally, be none of those. We are all artists—or are we? Of course there are actual differences between individuals, some are more inclined to accounting or riding elephants, deep-sea diving, defusing explosive devices, psychoanalysis, or beating each other senseless, and although I know that I _could be_, I'm no helicopter pilot... and I do feel so much like Miller. Casting about for years, attempting, even desperate to fit in while simultaneously rejecting the whole goddamned idea of doing so as so obviously ridiculous and contemptible. It's a sort of torture, I suppose, but a delicious torture, and one that feels completely natural to me. I do reject the "normal," working for a living, beaten down husband-and-father loading groceries while the children run wild in the streets, begging them to *please get in the car,* my hangdog look so heavy and sad, and yet still contagious. Henry almost caught it himself, and I've tried, dammit, I have, and it nearly beat me.
What I want most of all is to be one of the few that got away.
Touching my nerves. Thanks Michael. I write because I must and because it helps me stay sober. I drank because I was working and succeeding in work that I didn’t give a fuck about and I wasn’t scratching the itch.
You are far more than a writer. It took me more than a Mama's minute to figure out that you are a Storyteller of the finest sort. You are earnest, and as emotionally precise as reality. You sometime seem mundane, but then the reader hears the crack of ice under the feet of a dog. Sincerity works. The tent was cold for anyone who wondered what would pass between you and your Dad before you broke camp, and headed back down the mountain.
I agree w one of the comments, that writing is a calling. At least I see it that way as a non writer. I know two writers personally and both do it out of love for the craft and both have made sacrifices for it. But like any artist, unfortunately, you will always be subjected to criticism. One has to have some pretty tough skin.
As a writer, I wrote in multiple languages at a young age. Well over 10 000 pages worth of stuff to be precise. That compulsion you describe is accurate, but it verges on the elitist snob perspective.
This is not the kinda of writer I want to support. This is not the kind of idea I want writers or non writers to aspire to be.
Way I see it, writing, like speech, is a fundamental aspect of the human experience. We all do it. The capitalist lens you presented writing under has bite, sure, but ultimately speaks very little to the value of writing for the common man. You named lots of famous authors.
What about the forgotten ones? The ones who where made into a mockery? Those who have amazing ideas who for a reason or another can’t adhere to an archaic structure that mostly white old men uphold?
The love of literature and writing for me came from the discovery of thinkers who were normal people. Nothing extraordinary about them. Reading works from several authors in Spanish, Japanese, French and African taught me that in fact, the spark for writing is the most common one there is.
Glad you touched on the outcast nature of the profession though. It’s accurate that writers can be social recluse but...
In my mind, I hope you take this not as a critique but an invitation to reframe your thinking about the world and it’s inhabitants. Writing is an opportunity for everybody to upgrade their lifestyle and minds. Writing in the age of technology, be it smart phones or AI, has increasingly more of an appeal in my humble opinion. I speak to non writers often who tell me how helpful it is for them to visit their thoughts in writing form. So...
All this to say, you have a passion, it’s evident, but don’t forget that you, and no one else for that matter, do not live in a vacuum. Use the writing to highlight these patterns you pointed out, and turn them into an opportunity for connection. There are communities that would appreciate their inclusion in the intersections you cover. So hopefully the future writing you publish is an opportunity for readers and writers alike to engage in a dance of ideas, not a chess match aiming at domination or segregation of authentic writers VS amateur scribblers.
Excellent post. I'm the type who worked a day job for all but three years of my adult life before I finally retired at 65 last August. My two biggest bursts of productivity as a novelist came when I took three years off to write my adult epic fantasy series and then the eight or so months since my retirement, when I've written one book and am close to finishing the first draft of a second one. My day jobs sucked out most of my creativity. I managed a a couple of novels while working full time, but it sure wasn't easy.
Great post. We are all a little weird and self-absorbed. But as you point out, there is a space for writers to release from their otherwise ordinary lives. There are those that hold down successful careers, but they need the artistic escape, just like the painter, the scupltor, or the musician. It's part of their soul but other pieces help feed the trough of that soul.
Thank you for your vulnerable honesty. I enjoyed it.
Writers Versus The World
This is insanely accurate. For the most part. Except for the narcissist part. Some are, but I’d argue the dichotomy bw narcissism and insecurity. Though one does beg the other. I’ve written about so much of what I’m reading here. That not everyone who writes is a writer, that we are just different and yes often misunderstood bc why not, that we see the world with a much wider lens, and think more deeply than the rest, that writers are born not made. But I also do love my MFA. And wouldn’t have honed my craft as well without it. I just wish I knew how to mint money from it. Another enjoyable and relatable piece. 👏🏼
I like your perspective on how writers seem to be. I agree that creative people can come through as unique in some people's eyes and I like that. I have been a creative person since I was young. But it has only been a couple of years now since I realized how much I enjoy writing fiction. I enjoy writing other things as well but diving deep into my imagination is the most fun to me. Excellent post though Michael.
This reminds me of the YouTubers who'd say, "I was filming things as soon as I could hold a camera in my hand. I did it before I made money!"
I always hear these sentiments with YouTubers, but it's the same for writers! It's in our bloodstream. Simply CAN'T live without writing.
This was a great deep dive!
I found this to be a very enjoyable read and enjoyed your perspective on writers.
I've been an Indie Author now for 10 years and have found that it isn't an easy road. You are in this profession because you love it. Not for the notoriety or the fame. You do intend to show your readers your perspective on the world and hope that they share the same perspective or that you in fact provide them a new onw.
"the history of 20th century writers and writing cannot be ignored" Yes! I want to scream this every time I hear people make the "it's all just a construct" argument. And you're right to cite the existence of a kind of writer's "tribe." It wasn't confidence in my ideas that made me want to write: that came later. But reading the Art of Fiction interviews and realizing: these are my people. That understanding will do a lot more for any prospective writer than any amount of practical writing advice.
It's difficult for writers to stand up for their profession and art nowadays because it seems like we're asking for special privileges and stuff like that. In reality, all we really want is the same thing as other professions: the right to judge within our domain, the right of exclusivity, the right to be eccentric like hell and the right to believe we are more special than everybody else. Like every other profession does. I don't go out and tell truck drivers that they're not allowed to feel exclusive and special about themselves. But it feels different because "to publish" comes from the Latin publicare: to make public. (Which is also why we have a right to an opinion about Roald Dahl even if his estate is corrupted: literature is a gift to the public, a gift to us readers)
Great piece!
You caught me as I'm reading *The Happiest Man Alive*, almost certainly on your recommendation. Reading this outstanding biography of Henry Miller brings me right back to when I started writing a few years ago, when my first writing teacher suggested that I read Sexus, and that I might find an affinity not just with Miller's work, but his worldview and way of being. I find myself re-learning in my writing now what another teacher transmitted to me, that we are well advised to "write like you talk," which he said came from Miller as well—and it does, but apparently, actually, from advice given to him by his friend and reader, Emil Schnellock. You, my friend, perhaps more than anyone I know here, actually succeed in doing that, writing like you talk. It doesn't always make for perfect syntax, but who the fuck cares about that. Well done.
Are "we" "different" as a category? I don't know if I'd claim so, but perhaps also only because I resist so very strongly putting myself in a category with *anyone* (aside from you, and you and all of you that I do choose to align myself with—but *all* writers? no.) Do I feel different though, perhaps not made for the world of work, 'born' an artist? I think we all are. I mean: fuck work, really. Work is for civilians—that is, others who haven't figured out how to do otherwise—and there should really, ideally, be none of those. We are all artists—or are we? Of course there are actual differences between individuals, some are more inclined to accounting or riding elephants, deep-sea diving, defusing explosive devices, psychoanalysis, or beating each other senseless, and although I know that I _could be_, I'm no helicopter pilot... and I do feel so much like Miller. Casting about for years, attempting, even desperate to fit in while simultaneously rejecting the whole goddamned idea of doing so as so obviously ridiculous and contemptible. It's a sort of torture, I suppose, but a delicious torture, and one that feels completely natural to me. I do reject the "normal," working for a living, beaten down husband-and-father loading groceries while the children run wild in the streets, begging them to *please get in the car,* my hangdog look so heavy and sad, and yet still contagious. Henry almost caught it himself, and I've tried, dammit, I have, and it nearly beat me.
What I want most of all is to be one of the few that got away.
I know you know the feeling.
After 12 years as a journalist, I quit, ran to Australia and trained to be a nurse.
Three years later I was back as a writer/editor.
I tried many times to run away from writing but each time I did I felt like my soul died.
It takes a special kind of insanity to carve out a 20-year career as a writer 😆
I could have been a software engineer. I had a knack for coding. Buuut writing seduced me away.
Touching my nerves. Thanks Michael. I write because I must and because it helps me stay sober. I drank because I was working and succeeding in work that I didn’t give a fuck about and I wasn’t scratching the itch.
Thanks for the essay.
You are far more than a writer. It took me more than a Mama's minute to figure out that you are a Storyteller of the finest sort. You are earnest, and as emotionally precise as reality. You sometime seem mundane, but then the reader hears the crack of ice under the feet of a dog. Sincerity works. The tent was cold for anyone who wondered what would pass between you and your Dad before you broke camp, and headed back down the mountain.
"The deeper truth is that writers write; they don’t need goading. They do it out of cold hard spiritual necessity." Spot on
Eloquently written exegesis. Where would be without you extraterrestrials observing us and pointing the way.
I agree w one of the comments, that writing is a calling. At least I see it that way as a non writer. I know two writers personally and both do it out of love for the craft and both have made sacrifices for it. But like any artist, unfortunately, you will always be subjected to criticism. One has to have some pretty tough skin.
Alright couple of thoughts.
As a writer, I wrote in multiple languages at a young age. Well over 10 000 pages worth of stuff to be precise. That compulsion you describe is accurate, but it verges on the elitist snob perspective.
This is not the kinda of writer I want to support. This is not the kind of idea I want writers or non writers to aspire to be.
Way I see it, writing, like speech, is a fundamental aspect of the human experience. We all do it. The capitalist lens you presented writing under has bite, sure, but ultimately speaks very little to the value of writing for the common man. You named lots of famous authors.
What about the forgotten ones? The ones who where made into a mockery? Those who have amazing ideas who for a reason or another can’t adhere to an archaic structure that mostly white old men uphold?
The love of literature and writing for me came from the discovery of thinkers who were normal people. Nothing extraordinary about them. Reading works from several authors in Spanish, Japanese, French and African taught me that in fact, the spark for writing is the most common one there is.
Glad you touched on the outcast nature of the profession though. It’s accurate that writers can be social recluse but...
In my mind, I hope you take this not as a critique but an invitation to reframe your thinking about the world and it’s inhabitants. Writing is an opportunity for everybody to upgrade their lifestyle and minds. Writing in the age of technology, be it smart phones or AI, has increasingly more of an appeal in my humble opinion. I speak to non writers often who tell me how helpful it is for them to visit their thoughts in writing form. So...
All this to say, you have a passion, it’s evident, but don’t forget that you, and no one else for that matter, do not live in a vacuum. Use the writing to highlight these patterns you pointed out, and turn them into an opportunity for connection. There are communities that would appreciate their inclusion in the intersections you cover. So hopefully the future writing you publish is an opportunity for readers and writers alike to engage in a dance of ideas, not a chess match aiming at domination or segregation of authentic writers VS amateur scribblers.
Excellent post. I'm the type who worked a day job for all but three years of my adult life before I finally retired at 65 last August. My two biggest bursts of productivity as a novelist came when I took three years off to write my adult epic fantasy series and then the eight or so months since my retirement, when I've written one book and am close to finishing the first draft of a second one. My day jobs sucked out most of my creativity. I managed a a couple of novels while working full time, but it sure wasn't easy.
Great piece...I have been musing with many of the same themes in my own life as a writer...as I am sure we all do.
Great post. We are all a little weird and self-absorbed. But as you point out, there is a space for writers to release from their otherwise ordinary lives. There are those that hold down successful careers, but they need the artistic escape, just like the painter, the scupltor, or the musician. It's part of their soul but other pieces help feed the trough of that soul.
Thank you for your vulnerable honesty. I enjoyed it.