Narcissist's Interview - Excerpts Part 17

Written by Sam Vaknin

Excerpts from the Archives of the Narcissism List Part 17

1. Interview with a Narcissist
2. Another One ...
3. E-mail Exchange in Preparation for an Interview Granted to Bob Goodman of "Natterbox"
4. Narcissism as an Adaptive Strategy
5. The Zombie Narcissist
6. Imitated Empathy
7. Narcissism and Self-Loathing
8. In Pursuit of Narcissistic Supply
9. The Deception that is the Narcissist

1. Interview with a Narcissist

I confined myself to short answers but they can be expanded if you wish.

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Name: Sam Vaknin
E-mail: samvak @ visto.com
Location: Israel

Q: Have you ever been published?

A: Many times.

Q: Where?

A: In Israel, Macedonia, Russia and The Czech Republic.

Q: How long have you been a writer?

A: 20 years.

Q: When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

A: My mother admired writers. She regarded and guarded books with awe and humility. She idolized the written word. It was a way for me to obtain her love and approval. So, the answer is: for as long as I can remember.

Q: What type of writing do you specialize in?

A: Very varied. Action thrillers, short fiction (post modern), economic columns in periodicals, scholarly articles in philosophy and psychology, an economics textbook and two reference books.

Q: What do you enjoy most about writing?

A: The ability to sculpt in words, to compose with the resonance of layers of meaning and associations, to see a text vibrating with the tense energy of its own implosion.

Q: What are the difficulties and challenges of being a writer?

A: Edison put it best: "10% inspiration, 90% perspiration". That - and the writer's block ...

Q: What do you know now about being a writer that you wish you knew when you first began your writing career?

A: That it does not matter what you have to say as long as you say it well. That the music is far more important than its performers and that Echo should outweigh Narcissus.

Q: How often do you write? How do you discipline yourself to write?

A: I write profusely, daily. I don't have to discipline myself. I do nothing else with the exception of rudimentary maintenance of my body. How does one observe one's breathing?

Q: How do you handle rejections from editors and/or publishers? What keeps you from being so discouraged you give up?

A: I handle them badly. I am a pathological narcissist and I am injured narcissistically when this happens. I do give up. I wrote a book of short fiction which sold well, won wide and wild critical acclaim and a prestigious award. When my second manuscript of short stories has been rejected, I gave up writing short fiction altogether. Now, that it has been accepted, I don't think I will write short fiction again.

Q: How do you improve and work on your writing skills?

A: I read. I write. I listen.

Q: Tell us the process you go through when you write.

A: I sit and type the text on a laptop. I rarely correct anything but typos. It's all in my head.