Self-examination vs Self-indulgence
Self-examination is brutally honest. Self-indulgence is brutally maudlin.
Writing requires the writer to be harshly candid about motive, intent, and goal, which, needless to say, mean self-examination. However, too little sincerity becomes self-indulgence, that is self-pitying.
Writers got to know why they're writing, their motive. Could it be for the money, acclaim, or self-satisfaction? Could it be to see, entertain, or convince the reader? Could it be to satisfy a need to titillate, deceive, or subvert the reader? The writer should be sincere when she or he considers the desire.
Generally speaking, writers have significantly more than one goal because they compose. Nowadays where non-fiction accocunts for the best percentage of writing, the motive would be to inform or convince with the secondary motive being financial. Most authors desire to be published to obtain financial assets or even to become wealthy, however the first consideration would be to have something to state that is highly relevant to the intended readership.
Fiction writers often write for a have to express themselves also to entertain while poets help with their passion to amuse, to beguile, to foment, to excite, also to purge. All writers, therefore, must establish their motive and become conscientious.
Thus writers have three goals--to inform, to entertain, also to convince. Nowadays of information overload, the writer comes with an important role because dissemination of information is, generally, achieved through the written word, even yet in television. Prior to the pictures, comes the written text and writers generate this although they often times work behind the scenes.
Entertainment is accomplished through the eyes, the ears, along with other senses, but, again, before this happens, the writer may be the primary way to obtain the ideas that become articles, books, movies, or television programs.
Last however, not least, may be the motive to convince, and again the writer is in charge of this. Advertising, political campaigning, religion--all desire to persuade the reader, audience, spectators, and listeners that it with their advantage to simply accept what's offered. Behind the scene, again, may be the writer.
Thus, the writer must submit to self-examination with candor and intensity to be certain that motives are fulfilling, not only self-gratifying. If it's self-indulgence then it really is effusively sentimental, without substance and fidelity--the dedicated writer's anathema.