The Narcissist's Toolbox: Writing to Read (Yourself)

There is perhaps an exaggerated amount of credence lent to the classic literary adage "read much to write well" - so much that it seems absurd to consider it in reverse. Why not write to read you own work? Why not relish your own use of the pen and delight in its creation? If you publish a post reluctantly or with self-loathing, why post at all? Of course, I wouldn't dream of demoting the importance of reading others' writing; this is a more practical tool and must come before all others. But we cannot neglect our own taste, and who better than ourselves to write what we enjoy?

As English majors, we try to wield language cleverly and creatively, not just to explicate but to entertain. Why not masturbate while we're about the business? It is very much within our grasp to entertain ourselves. Just imagine stumbling upon your own writing one day, in a blog or a book or a magazine. Do you read it? Do you love it?

I am the first to admit to loving my own writing, and then rearing from it in revulsion several months later when I revisit earlier pages. At times I find my old style and sensibility to be completely devoid of both. But this is a good thing. It is a way of charting my maturation as a writer, the evolution of my taste, and the future of my improvement.