This was what I came to found. The conquest of loneliness…
““This was what I came to found. The conquest of loneliness was the missing link that was one day going to make a decent novelist out of me. If you are out here and cannot close off the loves and hates of all that back there in the real world the memories will overtake you and swamp you and wilt your tenacity. Tenacity stamina... close off to everything and everyone but your writing. That s the bloody price. I don t know maybe it's some kind of ultimate selfishness. Maybe it's part of the killer instinct. Unless you can stash away and bury thoughts of your greatest love you cannot sustain the kind of concentration that breaks most men trying to write a book over a three or four year period.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A writer must isolate from emotional ties to achieve the concentration needed for lasting literary creation, viewing this sacrifice as a form of selfishness or killer instinct.
In simple terms: Writers need emotional isolation for focus.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize writing over distractions.
Themes
creativity
isolation
discipline
Mood
determined
reflective
Type
philosophical
advice
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- research phases
- creative blocks
- long‑term projects
Key Concepts
artistic sacrifice
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance relationships and creative work?
- Is isolation sustainable for long‑term health?
A Different Perspective
May cause personal alienation.