The joys and pains of writing

The joys and pains of writing

Author's Name: Ernest Hemingway

After finishing a story, I always felt empty, sad, and happy all at once, as if I'd just made love. I knew deep down that it was a special story, even though I had to read it the next day to be sure it was really good.

Writing is a job one can never do perfectly. It is a constant challenge, and it is more difficult than anything else I have ever done.

Even when you're at rock bottom, you must keep writing. Your only goal in the novel world is to struggle tirelessly until you finish writing it.

Writing, at its best, is a solitary life. Organizations for writers may alleviate a writer's loneliness, but I doubt they make him a better writer. He may gain social prestige by escaping his loneliness, but his career will likely begin to decline. In my opinion, a writer must work alone, and if he is a skilled writer, he will have to face eternity, or the lack thereof, every day.