I've noticed something disturbing in my writing as I've been working on my memoirs from my Hawaii trip over the last couple of days. I seem to have a much greater vocabulary for describing negative experiences than I do for positive experiences. As I look back over some of the writing that I did (that I haven't published to the blog yet), I spend several paragraphs detailing every aspect of some trivial negative experience, but then will only dedicate a few short and simple sentences to the positive experience.
That would be OK if the amount of writing dedicated to any given experience was proportional to the relevance of the experience. The problem is that the general positive experiences that I had over the course of the vacation exponentially outweighed the couple of trivial negative anecdotes. But you might not guess that from reading what I've written so far.
In the movie, Orange County, John Lithgow plays father to a son who is considering a career in writing. He asks of his son, "What do you have to write about? You're not oppressed. You're not gay." He seems to be implying that there is a natural connection between writing and bad experiences. Is this true? Is it easier for everyone to write about negative experiences than positive ones?
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3 comments:
As far as the Orange County line goes, I might point out that I am the one who has chosen writing as a profession and you are not. Maybe there is something to that set of criteria. :)
I think most people find it easier to write about bad stuff than good stuff. Just read any of the blogs linked from mine. Probably any blog period.
Interesting observation. Kahlil Gabran, in The Prophet, wrote something about how we don't have a need to talk when we are at peace with ourselves. (I'm not at home where I can look up the exact quote.) That line of thinking would indicate a need to talk more about the negative things, wouldn't it.
FYI: The Prophet, p.60, "You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts; And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart . . . "
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