Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Poe…
All the classic authors seem to have one depressing theme in common: Horrible Personal Lives
I know from experience that when a “writer” writes best is when emotions are high. You may be upset, angry, frustrated, drained, excited…whatever it is, the more emotions you have the better you write.
Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Poe all suffered for major bouts of depression. Hemingway ended his life by committing suicide. Poe fought drug and alcohol addictions his entire life, and Fitzgerald was Fitzgerald.
The ability to write well seems to be directly linked to how awful and depressed you feel.
Instead of it being a blessing, it’s almost a curse.
The ancient greeks and romans believed your inspiration for writing was given to you by higher beings. If you didn’t create something beautiful, it wasn’t your fault…it was those higher beings. Though I wouldn’t agree with that belief it seems to be a healthier way of viewing inspiration and success.
Writing well for “the greats” (if I may call them that) was not just a way to get money or be famous, it was a way they released angry and anxiety. It was the only thing that kept them alive at times.
Writing is a powerful, powerful tool. It can be a blessing, and it can be a curse.
There’s my two-cents for the day.
