The Writing Process: Know Yourself

“Know thyself,” the ancient Greeks urged. Even today, we hear endless stories of people embarking on voyages of self-discovery. They are always voyages, have you noticed? It’s never a hike or a mountain climb. Frankly, I would have thought that the verb ‘spelunking’ would be more appropriate. (Spelunking, if you didn’t know, means exploring caves.) I think I should start a new trend: self-spelunking. What do you think? Will it catch on?

Over the years as a writer’s career continues, he or she will learn an enormous amount about themselves. But if you want to write, you need to know some important things about yourself before you start. Consider these questions and answer them honestly.

How good is your work ethic?

Do you generally work the hours you’re supposed to? Or are there times when you start late and leave early? How much time do you spend making / drinking coffee or chatting with your colleagues? If you are given a big project to work on, do you get started on it right away, or do you procrastinate until the last minute? How much of your own work do you offload to others? Have you ever stolen someone else’s ideas and presented them as your own?

If you behave like a lazy toe-rag with an employer, why do you think you’d behave any better when you’re working for yourself? As a writer, there is no place to hide. You cannot blame peers because you didn’t get your daily quota done. If you spend the time goofing off, then you will never finish writing anything. Also, if you steal other writers’ stories, you can expect to pay the price.

How well do you handle solitude?

If you’re not used to working alone, you may find this very hard to get used to. Some writers like to work in cafés or parks in order to feel they are not too cut off from humanity, but I wonder how much work they manage to accomplish. There are other ways of handling the discomfort of being so much alone. You can play music quietly as long as it isn’t too distracting. Leave a door or window ajar so you can hear sounds drifting in from outside or from another room. You can let your cat or dog stay in your work space with you. Of course, the downside to all these clever tricks is that they also serve as distractions. The best way to write, to really write, is to focus on the page and the words you are putting there. If you focus well enough, you won’t even realise that you are alone. Besides, you have all your imaginary friends to talk to.

Are you able to work independently?

Depending on your point of view, being able to work independently is either the best or the worst thing about being a writer. I love being able to focus exclusively on my project, to do my own research and to know exactly where I am with every detail. But a lot of people like being able to dump — uh, share — tasks with others. You can, of course, learn to be independent, but you must be willing to do so. Also, I confess, there have been times when I have asked other people to research various items for me. Most often it’s because the item falls into the category of things they already know about or are interested in. I know that if I ask BFF Jane to look up some obscure item of history (one time it was what post boxes in London looked like during a specific period), she won’t only get the facts, but will find a tonne of related data that I can find a use for. Those instances are rare, though. Most of the time, I prefer to do my own work, even the drudge work like mailing manuscripts — not that that is necessary these days.

There are writers who will use research assistants and I have no problem with that. But the actually writing part of the job belongs to the writer alone. I was once told that a certain best-selling author hasn’t written her own books in years. The publisher has them ghost-written and then releases them under the name of Ms Success. Since then, I’ve spotted another highly regarded author whose style abruptly changed a few years ago. Of course, perhaps his style simply evolved. Even if it transpires that either or both of these authors were currently relying on ghosts, they didn’t start out that way. They earned their reputation by dint of hard work and sacrifice.

How well do you handle failure and disappointment?

Being a writer isn’t all jolly japes and hanging out with the Clooneys. A lot of it is about failure. Even Stephen King was rejected many times before Carrie became a huge success. If failure cripples or frightens you, if believe that you are entitled to succeed, or if you have a history of fit-throwing when you hear the word ‘no’, then writing may not be the path for you. Yes, you can self-publish and ignore all the potential nay-sayers, but unless your work is very, very good, and you get very, very lucky, your success is hardly a foregone conclusion. The only caveat I can think of is having enough money for it not to matter.

For most of us mortals, though, success is earned by dint of hard work and refusing to be deterred by failure. It may take a long time. The cost may be higher than you’d like to think of in terms of personal relationships, wealth, and self-esteem. But the rewards, when they come, are worth it.

Do you have the ‘write’ stuff?

Even mediocre writers can become good in time, just as a very average pianist can manage to play a few easy pieces more-or-less fluently with enough practice. But let’s be honest: there’s a difference between being a hard grafter and a talented beginner. With all the best will in the unknown universe, talent cannot be learned. You can learn technique, and you can master many of the elements of the craft of writing, but you must decide early on if you have what it takes.

Many would-be writers were told when they were young that they were ‘born writers.’ Our essays were the ones read out to the class. If that is you, then perhaps you do have that write-stuff. But before you admit defeat, take heart from this quote from author Robert Benchley:

“It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous“. 

So, who are you?

Are you one of the hardy few who is too stubborn to quit? Do you spit in the eye of failure?

If, after reading the questions I posted, and if your answers make you feel uneasy, perhaps writing isn’t for you. But if, despite everything, you still want to write, then go for it. The self-discipline and focus can be learned if writing matters enough to you. So, my friend… does it?

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