You would think there’s something almost egotistical about writers who write about writers. But then, if you’ve ever met a writer, you would know that isn’t true. Writers are right up there with comics as the most self-deprecating people you could ever meet. Also, we’re a little on the unhinged side (well, the good ones of us are.)
Being a writer and trying to get our work out there is an exercise in trial, struggle, and pain. It usually involves gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair. Most of the times it involves some kind of addiction which we then have to try to balance on top of the piles of rejection letters we get. In almost all cases, writers are being verbally pummeled, criticized, devalued, or–as in the case of every Oscars broadcast I’ve ever seen–made fun of for their contributions to society.
If a writer chooses to write about writing, (or being a writer) it’s not out of ego. Sometimes it’s about wish fulfillment: we want our careers to be smooth with everyone praising our latest work, long lines and sold out presales of our books, and signings where our fingers ache from signing instead of our hearts from no one attending. Sometimes, it’s just to tell the non-writing world what being a writer is like. Sometimes it’s a warning to other non serious writers that your possibility of insane billionaire success would be higher if you fell off a pile of books on YouTube and got a reality TV show deal instead of writing one.
But I guess in a screwed up kind of way, all of that really IS the ego talking.