I’LL NEVER WRITE ANYTHING AS GOOD AS MELISSA FEBOS AND THAT’S OKAY
on comparison & creative process
A writing teacher once shared a quote about how being a writer is about feeling compelled to write.
“Not everyone does,” she said. “But if you feel compelled to write, to tell stories, to make sense of the world in this way, you’re a writer.”
Why do you feel compelled to write?
I started writing to understand the world, to dream of new worlds, to process what’s happening around me, to make an imprint on the page, to say I’m here too.
I keep writing for some of those same reasons, and because I want to both make sense of and express the heartbreak and beauty of what it means to be alive. I write for love, I write for grief.
But sometimes I forget why I write and I get confused.
I get stuck in all kinds of things — but what’s on my mind to talk about today is getting stuck in comparison. AKA: I’ll never write something as good as Melissa Febos or insert other writer you love!
And you know what?
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