I am coining a new phrase, pain before the pen. What does this mean? Simply that writers usually write in the first place because they are trying to deal with something they are going through. This is the case for artists in general. Can you create good art unless it means something to you? I'm not really sure you can.
But then again, that is subject to what we consider good. Is what you write good because it has high sale numbers? Is what you write good because it has meaning to someone else's life-mabye even a complete stranger?
