In the army you feel violated - there's no private space. Writing was a life-saver, a way of recovering private territory.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Now, when I was in the Army, writing was my hobby.
Writing is a solitary occupation.
Writing is taking a risk, and it is actually fighting invisible and invincible enemies. They are over-confidence, stupidity, expectation and narcissism.
There is an art to writing, and it is not always disclosure. The act itself can be beautiful, revelatory, and private.
For me, writing isn't a way of being public or private; it's just a way of being. The process is always full of pain, but I like that. It's a reality, and I just accept it as something not to be avoided.
That is my major concern: writers who are in prison for writing.
The act of writing is a kind of catharsis, a liberation, but I never really concerned myself with that. I write because it interests me.
The best writing really does come from the deepest, most private part of you.
Writing is a way of getting at the things most people would prefer to escape. Writing takes me to the center of life. That's my invitation to my readers as well.
The writing life is essentially one of solitary confinement - if you can't deal with this, you needn't apply.