If we're honest, we have a treasure trove of self-deprecation. You know your foibles better than anyone else. Rodney Dangerfield's "I don't get no respect" attitude is fodder for writing. Mine your own insecurities once in a while; laugh at yourself and encourage your reader to laugh at those qualities in them. It's part of the human condition.
Anne Lamont is a good example. She describes a reading where she had jet lag, the self-esteem of a prawn, and to top it off, she stopped breathing. She said she sounded like the English patient.
Understatement and hyperbole work in writing. Exploit them both.
I had forgotten this one. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteHope you're having a pleasant Memorial Day. Remember when we called it "Decoration Day?"
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