ABSTRACT
This chapter explores in detail both the pleasure and the fascination in writing. Life writing authors often indicate some of their reasons for writing in the title that they choose, so this can be a valuable place to start looking for clues. The name of the subject almost always appear (it would be interesting to try and find an example where this isn’t the case), but there is often extra and valuable information present too. Something like fame, or competition, or simply a need to set things down (or even a combination of all three), spurs writers into action. Many life writing narratives seem generated, for example, by the experience, or perception, of loss. Feelings or memories that emerge from the unconscious must be treated with caution. But a blend of these processes may well prove fruitful and effective when translated into life writing.
