A Writer’s Notes #24
Here are two views on one’s own writing that made me stop and think: Benjamin Percy, essayist and author of The Dead Lands writes: “When I stand over the podium and crack open my book for an audience I cringe. I suppose I haven’t plateaued yet. You should, as a writer, always be disgusted with your previous work.” I pretty much fit the mold, but I must admit that I’ve written a few pieces that, while I think they could be improved, don’t disgust me.
And Nell Zink, author of Mislaid, asks: “Why bother writing a book that someone else could write? If I’m going to add a book to the endless mass of books out there, then it should be a book that only I can write.” Hopefully the novel I’m working on now, Celebrity Cast, is a book that only I (or a handful of others) could write. Time will tell.