We couldn't imagine the emptiness of a creature who put a razor to her wrists and opened her veins, the emptiness and the calm.
Jeffrey EugenidesRead
The daily act of writing remains as demanding and maddening as it was before, and the pleasure you get from writing - rare but profound - remains at the true heart of the enterprise. On their best days, writers all over the world are winning Pulitzers, all alone in their studios, with no one watching.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writing is a challenging yet rewarding endeavor that persists regardless of external recognition.
This quote by Jeffrey Eugenides highlights the dual nature of writing: the struggle involved in the daily act and the profound pleasure that occasionally arises from it. Despite the demanding and often frustrating process, it is this deep enjoyment that motivates writers, who may not have immediate recognition for their work but nonetheless experience significant personal satisfaction in their craft.
Themes
WritingProcessPleasureStruggleCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the creative process, I might refer to this quote to illustrate the dedication required in writing.
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