A writer's life is a continuous search for identity.
He might be tempted to look for the roots of his identity among the traditional writers who have apparently influenced his writings. But that's just a shadow of his fear or 'anxiety of influence'. He might be at pains to arrive at the conclusion that he has always been standing alone curtailing the 'influences' that buzz around him. He needs be himself, allowing his own voice to echo back, unmixed with other alien voices from the past or the present.
A writer is his own past, present and future.
He is not at the mercy of the world, but it's the other way round. Apart from time and talent, he is the one who directs the cause and effect. He is the result of his will, projected through originality in thought and style. He is the voice or expression of the moment, the mouth-piece of a highly creative time.
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