Chekhov Writing Wisdom
From Chekhov's play, "The Seagull"—words spoken by Teplev as he struggles with his writing, near the play's end in Act IV:
"I'm becoming more and more convinced that it's not a question of new or old forms, but the act of writing itself, with no thought for what's new or old, but writing as it freely pours from the heart. "
Earlier, in Act I, the doctor Dorn offered Teplev this bit of advice:
"There must be a clear and definite purpose to what you do. You have to know what you are writing for; if you embark on the artist's path without a clear aim, you will delude yourself and your talent will destroy you."
Touche!
