on writing
The only stories I can come up with are the ones I don't like reading -- the ones that don't quite hit the mark. The ones with too many pop culture references and not enough timeless truths. Maybe that's not the problem. Maybe the problem is that I'm just not good enough at writing, at devising plots and depicting characters. Every story has a pointlessness to it, or too sharp a point. Always either or.
Sometimes I think that essays are better suited to me. A strong structure and straightforward explanations, not a constant flow of florid descriptions. I just don't see the world through the lens of good storytelling, I guess. But the trouble is that every essay I think I might want to write, I've seen done better already, more fluidly and with more vigorous consideration behind it. Why would I even bother to write essays when others do it so well? It's like I have nothing of value to add to the discussion.
Sometimes I think that essays are better suited to me. A strong structure and straightforward explanations, not a constant flow of florid descriptions. I just don't see the world through the lens of good storytelling, I guess. But the trouble is that every essay I think I might want to write, I've seen done better already, more fluidly and with more vigorous consideration behind it. Why would I even bother to write essays when others do it so well? It's like I have nothing of value to add to the discussion.