Namely?
The individual."
- From the introduction of The Enormous Room by E.E. Cummings.
I woke up at 4 a.m. this morning thinking deep thoughts about the process of writing an autobiographical book, or blog, or anything really. I've been thinking a lot about solipsism lately. First, let me define:
Solipsism - noun
1. extreme preoccupation with and indulgence of one's feelings, desires, etc.; egoistic self-absorption.
Also known as "contemplating your navel." Which is a phrase that shows just how silly the practice is. But lately, I haven't been contemplating my navel, I have been listening to Elizabeth Gilbert contemplate hers. Which she does, a lot, in Eat, Pray, Love. And it's very interesting. Like going along in someone's head and exploring their deepest motivations, finding out how they became who they are now, and all that fun psycho-analytical stuff.
The fact that this is enjoyable is news to me, because I have spent the vast majority of my writing career thinking that if I wrote about myself it would bore anyone not related to me by blood. I still rather believe that. But if Liz Gilbert can talk about herself for hundreds of pages, I think I might have a shot at it too. So I dissected how she frames her voyage of self-discovery: she explores herself through her relationships with other people, objects, and her own inner voice. It's all about interaction. You can't tell an interesting narrative if the only voice is your own - and Elizabeth Gilbert has a lot of company (even when she's talking to herself).
I'm still working out how to apply this to my own writing. I think that when I start traveling it will be easier to incorporate other voices, other characters. But for right now, it's just me, myself and I. And all three of us are wondering what the heck I'm thinking trying to write about myself. See Liz, I have self-doubting voices in my head too. So there.
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I know what you mean. I'm always thinking that there's no point writing about my own limited experience, but I do it anyway, and it turns out people are interested. For instance, I'm reading every word of this blog and finding it fascinating. I suppose it's because we're selfish creatures, really, and what we like to do is read through other people's worries and thoughts and apply them to ourselves. Oh, I agree! Oh, that reminds me of this one time when I...! Yes, I worry about that too! On the one hand, it's terribly self-centered; on the other, it's a beautiful indication of how human beings can find ways to connect through story and writing.
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