Nietzsche on lit

[Anonymous No.9843005]

163

>The seriousness of craft. Speak not of gifts, or innate talents! One can name all kinds of great men who were not very gifted. But they acquired greatness, became "geniuses" (as we say) through qualities about whose lack no man aware of them likes to speak; all of them had that diligent seriousness of a craftsman, learning first to form the parts perfectly before daring to make a great whole. They took time for it, because they had more pleasure in making well something little or less important, than in the effect of a dazzling whole. For example, it is easy to prescribe how to become a good short story writer, but to do it presumes qualities which are habitually overlooked when one says, "I don't have enough talent." Let a person make a hundred or more drafts of short stories, none longer than two pages, yet each of a clarity such that each word in it is necessary; let him write down anecdotes each day until he learns how to find their most concise, effective form; let him be inexhaustible in collecting and depicting human types and characters; let him above all tell tales as often as possible, and listen to tales, with a sharp eye and ear for the effect on the audience; let him travel like a landscape painter and costume designer; let him excerpt from the various sciences everything that has an artistic effect if well portrayed; finally, let him contemplate the motives for human behavior, and disdain no hint of information about them, and be a collector of such things day and night. In this diverse exercise, let some ten years pass: and then what is created in the workshop may also be brought before the public eye.
But how do most people do it? They begin not with the part but with the whole. Perhaps they once make a good choice, excite notice, and thereafter make ever worse choices for good, natural reasons.
Sometimes when reason and character are lacking to plan this kind of artistic life, fate and necessity take over their function, and lead the future master step by step through all the requisites of his craft.
From Human, all too human

I believe this is one of the best literary advice one could get.

[Anonymous No.9843011]

>>9843005
>le epic syphilitic madman maymay

[Anonymous No.9843012]

>>9843011
this is a serious thread. please leave.

[Anonymous No.9843021]

>>9843005
That was lovely.
Basically giving anyone with enough will power who has unfortunately bought into the "i don't have the intrinsic talent" bs enough reason to give it a proper go

And any human being, when brought humbly enough down to a certain level of life, will find at that level the drive necessary, the lust for a more beautiful life, the endless wellsping that is no longer afraid of failure because it already embodies it

I like Nietzsche

[Anonymous No.9843035]

>>9843005
OP, have you read The Case of Wagner? There's also some good advice there regarding the virtues of a mature artist; Nietzsche, perhaps surprisingly considering Birth of Tragedy, praises sobriety and craft. He also gives Wagner shit for making it okay for people to think they can make art without practicing, like they'll just immediately reveal to the world their inner greatness. Nietzsche is actually rather consistent on this: see also section 188 of BGE, "compulsion for a long time and in one direction" will produce greatness.

>>9843011
Has there been another author whose popular reputation diverged so wildly from what he actually wrote?

[Anonymous No.9843044]

>>9843035
Thanks for the adice, I read the case of wagner and BGE but I don't remember section 188, which I'm going to read now.

[Anonymous No.9843059]

>>9843035
>Has there been another author whose popular reputation diverged so wildly from what he actually wrote?
That's suggestive of something but it isn't greatness or insight. Of course Nietzsche would write about spending 10 years polishing your craft before ever doing some serious undertaking, the man was bedridden and weak and could hardly write, and so spent 10 hours a day thinking about what to write before he did. He was a lunatic which is why he's so misunderstood, intelligent writing is intelligible. There's literally nothing you can't use Nietzsche's philosophy to defend or rationalize, the Nazis are proof.