If writing is a challenging task for dubious returns even for the most astute and accomplished authors, then why bother with it? The French novelist Jean Malaquais once told Norman Mailer that despite the anguish writing exacts on him, he continues to do it as the only way to find the truth. This self-imposed yoke compelled Malaquais to endure whatever mental or emotional burden he could to complete his manuscripts.
Whether writers see their job as a means to an end, whatever that end may be, or as an intellectual or spiritual exercise, their goal should always be to do it with integrity. That approach by itself will ensure they reach a state of high quality. I suppose this truth holds for any walk of life.
Whether writers see their job as a means to an end, whatever that end may be, or as an intellectual or spiritual exercise, their goal should always be to do it with integrity. That approach by itself will ensure they reach a state of high quality. I suppose this truth holds for any walk of life.
