Writers

[danaeris]

I know that I am obsessed with my own words, the words I write. I often will re-read what I have written when there is little or no value to be gained from re-reading it.

There are three possible explanations for this behaviour:
(1) I am a writer. All writers are obsessed with their own writing!
(2) I am self-absorbed at least in this area.
(3) I am sufficiently forgetful that I find novelty in reading the very things I myself wrote.

I think there may be a grain of truth in all of these. I also think that 1 and 2 are the same, except that in 1 I'm making claims about people other than myself "It's ok, that's normal for a writer!"

So I'll pose it to you, folks. In addition to any other comments you'd like to make regarding this entry, please riddle me this:

Do writers, in general, tend to be somewhat fascinated by their own writing?

Comments

[jadasc.livejournal.com]

Yes. (I'd add an "Of course," but that might be presumptuous.) I agree with 1 and attribute 3 not to forgetfulness but to the varied perspectives that come with time.Â

[kaidevis.livejournal.com]

I do the same thing. I have noticed something, though, that re-reading my own writing several times I can notice tone and word choice in it that I don't notice at the time I write, that tells me later about my headspace and also shows me ways that I wish to change my writing in the future.

I'd say definite yes on point 1 (as a writer I obsess over my writing and think all writers do), I'm so-so on point 2 (*everyone* on LJ is at least a little self-absorbed, or they wouldn't have a livejournal), and I think you're stretching on point 3 (but it's always nice to have a third point to round out options).

In addition to obsessing over my own writing, as a writer I also obsess of people's writing whose styles that I admire. This includes a scant few people on LiveJournal whose writing is occasionally unbelievable, but mostly authors and columnists in more traditional print. There are times I'll re-read an essay three times, and there are definitely books that I read time and again simply for the *way* that they're written---and I usually learn something new about how to wordsmith each time I read them even if ridiculously tiny like, "Wow, I'd never though of using an unclear antecedent that way before."

[amberite.livejournal.com]

As a writer myself, I would say that in times when I'm writing enough -- in times when I'm closest to the part of me that writes -- writing is a great pleasure, and re-reading something I've written is an echo of that pleasure, like smelling a scent you associate with a lover. At the same time, it allows one to edit, to criticize, to change a few words here or there in an unfinished work, to rest on others.

I also think that most true writers (as opposed to "well, I'm good at making LOTS of text around this plot right here, so I'll just write fifteen novels with the same plot and learn how to please the masses" writers, which are really fairly rare since porn is easier, but each of them is making more money than ten of us) (@set tongue=!cheek) are rather self-centered with regards to their work. It takes a great deal of self-esteem to write, in the face of editors, rejection slips, the idea that you'll never send it off anyway, the idea that you suck, etcetera -- to say nothing of attention span!

Replace "all writers" with "the majority of decent writers", and I'm pretty sure it works. The answer to your final question, based on my experience, is definitely yes (since the question itself has its own polite uncertainties, I don't have to include any in the answer.)

[merovingian.livejournal.com]

I definitely enjoy reading what I wrote.

It's always just the kind of thing that I think makes good writing, and, on top of that, I have the memory of a goldfish.

Look!

[merovingian.livejournal.com]

There's a castle in my fishbowl!

Yay!

[kaidevis.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, but is there a fishbowl in your castle?

Well, yeah

[lawbard.livejournal.com]

I would expect that writers would be fascinated with their own work.
I'd expect it at least for one simple reason:
Pride in your work. And all of the related good feelings of a job well done.

There's probably more to it than that, but I think thats a reason too.