the writing life: secret no. 10
10:28 AM
It's the stuff about you that you may
consider undesirable that makes you
interesting to read.
I'm not just referring to self-deprecation or memoir writing. I've learned it's okay to go ahead and embrace and exploit my weaknesses. For me, sometimes this means exposing neurotic tendencies, and keep in mind:
“EVERYTHING GREAT IN THE WORLD HAS COME FROM NEUROTICS. THEY ALONE HAVE FOUNDED OUR RELIGIONS AND COMPOSED OUR MASTERPIECES.”
Marcel Proust
Proust shared my bias. Although as a writer and human being my preference is to be "in command" and not "possessed" by my fantasy:
"THE POET IS IN COMMAND OF HIS FANTASY WHILE IT IS EXACTLY THE MARK OF A NEUROTIC THAT HE IS POSSESSED BY HIS FANTASY. "
Lionel Trilling
Even Freud acknowledged "neurotics complain about their illness, but they make the most of it." Maybe a version of that will grace my tombstone someday:
"...GIRL WAS CRAZY, BUT SHE MADE THE MOST OF IT."
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