Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Is it Normal to Write a Novel?

"The writer must believe that what he is doing is the most important thing in the world.  And he must hold to this illusion even when he knows it isn't true."  John Steinbeck

As writers, we're driven to write!  What we're doing (at least to us) is important for expanding the knowledge of the general public, or at least offering a form of entertainment.

The downfall of this is that writing is a solitary profession.  And sitting alone for hours on end can lead to depression.  Some of the most famous writers, including Keats, Virginia Woolf, Hemingway, and Sylvia Plath, were depressed.

At Bob Mayer's Warrior Writing Workshop, he encouraged all who were depressed to take their medication.  "After all" he said, "it's not really normal to lock yourself away and write 100,000 words."
And Robert Masello also urges, "take the Prozac, the Zoloft...or just get out and see some friends."

I've never thought of writing as abnormal (or depressing), and because I'm an introvert, I love locking myself away and getting lost in another world.  If I'm a freak, don't tell anyone!  I once heard a skydiver say, "Some people write novels, I jump out of airplanes.  There's no greater rush for me."

I can't even begin to understand the thrill of jumping out of an airplane--but to me, there's nothing like the rush of writing a novel!

What do you think?

Tweet me:  @maria_mckenzie.  Thanks for stopping by!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Being alone is a joy for me; I can't ever see me getting depressed when I write. And I have jumped out of an airplane from 10000 feet. It is a rush, but I wouldn't want to do it everyday. Writing isn't a rush for me...seeing a finished work is. a great post, Maria. Take care.

Maria McKenzie said...

Kelly, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who feels that being alone is a joy! But never will I jump from an airplane!

A.M. Wells said...

I completely agree. Like you, I am also an introvert. Writing is my passion and gives me great joy when I can bring the voice to life in my head. A non writer friend asked me the other day why I write. I told her simply because I have to.