A Writer’s Startling Confession

Yesterday I received the following note from my friend Andrew Agnew:

As a fellow scribbler I want to share with you some favorite comments uttered by journalist Russell Baker when he was a host of Masterpiece Theatre. Regarding author P. G. Wodehouse and writing.

“P. G. Wodehouse wrote an autobiography of sorts in 1956 and made a startling confession, for a writer. He said he had a great deal of fun writing all his books.”

“It’s bad form for writers to enjoy writing. They’re always groaning about the loneliness of it. The agony… the pain… the fatigue. Dr. Samuel Johnson set the style when he said, “Nobody but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money.””

“P. G. Wodehouse didn’t think you wrote simply for money. “What makes a writer write,” he said, “is that he likes writing!”

Thanks, Andrew!

About Stan Guthrie

Stan Guthrie is an editor at large for Christianity Today magazine and for the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview. His latest book is God's Story in 66 Verses. He also is author of All that Jesus Asks: How His Questions Can Teach and Transform Us, Missions in the Third Millennium: 21 Key Trends for the 21st Century, and A Concise Guide to Bible Prophecy. He is co-author of The Sacrament of Evangelism. Besides authoring, writing, and editing books, Stan is a literary agent, bringing together good authors, good books, and good publishers. Stan writes the monthly Priorities colum for BreakPoint.org. He has appeared on National Public Radio's €œTell Me More,€ WGN's Milt Rosenberg program, and many Christian shows, including The Eric Metaxas Show and Moody Radio'€™s €œNew Day Florida.€ A licensed minister and an inspirational speaker, he served as moderator for the Christian Book Expo panel discussion, Does the God of Christianity Exist, and What Difference Does It Make?
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