Why you can’t tell people not to write
By Paul Biba
I enjoyed this piece by author Al Kennedy so much I was tempted to quote the whole thing. An action the Guardian might not have appreciated:
When I started writing no one told me it would come to this. …
But I do try to tell other people what it will come to … . They want to write, they have application and vigour, they’ve all come on since I read them last and yet … it would be unfair not to remind them of how horrible their futures may become. If they’re unsuccessful, they’ll be clattering through a global Depression with a skill no one requires, a writing demon gnawing at their spine to be expressed and a delicately-nurtured sensitivity that will only make their predicaments seem worse – and yet somehow of no interest to anyone else. If they’re successful, they still may not make a living, will travel more than a drug mule, may be so emotionally preoccupied that they fail to notice entire relationships, will have to deal with media demands no sane person would want to understand and may well wear far too much black
I didn’t know of her work, but after reading the full piece I’m now off to Fictionwise and Amazon to see what I can find. Here’s part of her bio from Wikipedia: Alison Louise Kennedy (born October 22, 1965 in Dundee) is a Scottish writer of novels, short stories and non-fiction. She is known for a characteristically dark tone, a blending of realism and fantasy, and for her serious approach to her work as well as a passion for the art of yodeling.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
When the “writing demon” gnaws at my spine, I cheer myself up by reminding myself I’m not a musician.
February 24th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Thanks for the link, Paul.
February 25th, 2009 at 9:52 am
AL Kennedy is a great, extraordinary writer. Get into her, and enjoy!