#RTWrites :: Solving The Mystery: Are Writers Really Solitary Creatures? - @RT_Writes

The answer to this mystery in a nutshell is yes.

Since time immemorial artists are considered to be slightly eccentric (fancy for weirdos) with loving quirks that endeared them to the masses.

Famed Mistress of Mystery, Agatha Christie had this to say about the process of writing. “There is no agony like it. You sit in a room, biting pencils, looking at a typewriter, walking about, or casting yourself down on a sofa, feeling you want to cry your head off."

Franz Kafka never allowed any of his work to be published when he was alive, and threw a lot of his earlier manuscripts in the fire right before his death to avoid publication.

Why, even JK Rowling wrote the first drafts of all the books hunched in a corner of a café in London.

James Patterson (who admittedly doesn’t write his own books anymore) says, ‘’The trick is making writing into a daily habit. Same time. Same place. Same hot beverage of choice. Every. Single. Day. Again. And. Again.’’

Yeah, writers are weird.

But, are we alone in the weirdness? That’s the million dollar question.

My Own Writing Process 

As of writing this post, I have followed all the little rituals I do while writing *anything*.

I have painted my nails, my earphones are firmly in place and a playlist curated for writing this post is on – the current song playing is one by Ruelle called ‘Storm’.

But, more importantly, this whole post has been envisioned by me – with important landmarks i.e. subheads extremely clear in my head. As I mentioned in this New Indian Express piece, ‘it’s like a movie that’s appeared full-blown in my head and all that’s left to do is write it down as quickly as I can.’

So, with everything else in place, all that remains is the writing of this post.

The easiest and hardest task of them all.

And, also, the loneliest. I can prepare till Kingdom come, get the exact music, have the perfect posture (standing desk FTW), and have a knitting circle of friends cheering me on to get the words down (I strongly suggest getting one if you don’t have one) but the actual work …the writing of this post can be done by only me.

It is a solo job.

A solitary job.

A Method to The Madness 

Whether it is world-famous former billionaire writers or *slightly* less prolific authors, each of us has a singular process – something that gets this incredibly isolating job done.

Milan Vohra, author of The Love Asana, Tick Tock We’re 30 and recent release Our Song handwrites every single word before typing it up – really living up to the image of a bespectacled writer hunched over their desk, furiously getting them words.

Another bestselling prolific author, Andaleeb Wajid writes early and first thing in the morning before the world wakes up – calling it her favorite time of the day. “Writing is my addiction,” she says, “Feeding it is a joy.”

 Andaleeb’s latest offering to the word count beast is Coming Home from the Amazon bestseller anthology Something Old, Something New.

Fellow Something Old, Something New author Shilpa Suraj, who juggles many many hats on her always styled head, writes in the middle of the night when her rambunctious daughter sleeps. And, as of writing this post, is in the middle of no less than three manuscripts all of which she hopes to complete by year’s end.

So, Are Writers Really Solitary Creatures?

True, all of us have different writing speeds and discipline is a watchword for dedicated writers like Wajid but the actual *process* of hammering out a draft requires one to sit one’s pretty butt down somewhere and feed the word god.

It requires a kind of focus that all creators and artists have to have in order to create.

I am not really sure if writers are solitary creatures always – in that we prefer the company of pets and our computer to that of other humans but I can 100% vouch for this writer growling at humans when she is in the middle of actually writing.

The truth is, in the end, it’s all about the writer and what goes on in their head, the imagination of it all and filling a blank page.

It’s hard naked truth between you and whatever God you believe in. And, like any form of praying it, it is supposed to be solitary. Alone.

Yours.

Isn’t it?

Xx
Writer Gal