All writers are vain, selfish, and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives there lies a mystery. Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand. For all one knows that demon is simply the same instinct that makes a baby squall for attention. And yet it is also true that one can write nothing readable unless one constantly struggles to efface one's own personality. Good prose is like a windowpane.

Summary

This quote conveys the paradoxical nature of writers and the arduous process of creating literature. It suggests that writers possess qualities like vanity, selfishness, and laziness, which obscure their motives. Writing a book is likened to a painful and exhausting struggle, a difficult journey undertaken due to an indescribable inner compulsion. The quote suggests that this inner drive might be rooted in a subconscious instinct for attention. On the other hand, it states that in order to craft compelling and readable writing, writers must strive to diminish their own personalities and achieve a level of transparency, akin to a clear windowpane.

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