She says the if we start comparing our work to the work of other writers who have gone before, if we start thinking, there's already so much of this kind of fiction out there, what's the use of me writing mine?, that pretty much guarantees we'll quit. Thinking, what does a world that has Shakespeare need with MY love story is just fatal.
Yes. This. My younger brother once kvetched to me about giving up writing because he could never be as good as Proust. It made me want to reach through the internets and shake him, because he shouldn't be trying to be anything other than who he is. He could be a damned good writer if he'd stop naval-gazing.
I get into fits myself sometimes, down here on the fanfic-only level. But ultimately? My creative expression, while different than those writers who cause me envy, is no less valid or original just because it's my voice. :)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-07-14 09:18 pm (UTC)Yes. This. My younger brother once kvetched to me about giving up writing because he could never be as good as Proust. It made me want to reach through the internets and shake him, because he shouldn't be trying to be anything other than who he is. He could be a damned good writer if he'd stop naval-gazing.
I get into fits myself sometimes, down here on the fanfic-only level. But ultimately? My creative expression, while different than those writers who cause me envy, is no less valid or original just because it's my voice. :)