I had a long conversation tonight with a friend of mine who is probably one of the greatest friends I've ever had and the most important I will ever have. He is incredibly talented in so many areas, but at the same time is so unbelievably self critical. After a successful career (though this he denies) in technology, he had decided to give it up in pursuit of his true ideals. A major part of this pursuit is in being a professional writer. This is very fitting for him because he's exceptionally brilliant and very literate in both his writing and in his speech. The problem is he will not accept these as compliments as truths. He is in a continuous loop of self denial on most of his talents and in particular, his writing. I have tried to convey to him that his writing are incredibly insightful and that he has plenty to say. But as is his nature, he will not and cannot accept this. I tried to explain to him that the stories he's in search of writing are the stories he already owns. He's spent the last couple years in trying to better understand who he is as a person and how he as a person fits into the world which he lives. During this time of self study he has had the opportunity to do things that many of us could only dream of doing. His writings reflect this self identification and thus make up his writing style. Tonight I tried to encourage him to go with what he knows. To just get it all down on paper and to worry about it all later. That the story will come out while he is writing and to not TRY to be a writer but rather get it all out and be concerned with grammar, spelling, and plot later. That way he can construct the best idea for what he wanted to convey. I believe I had little or no success in encouraging him tonight and for that I feel bad. Not for me but for him. He has the talent and ability to write and to write well. He just got to get it out.
I decided to post this blog entry as a followup to my conversation with him. To reiterate points that I made to him and to get him to accept his talents. I apologize if you're reading this and it doesn't make very much sense. It is 3 am now, I'm a little tired, and I wrote this more for him to see my failure in encouraging him.

Good night all and happy Thanksgiving!