Is writing really a
solitary pursuit?
Well. . . yes and no.
It is. . .
I’m the only one who
can write my story. It’s my fingers, and only my fingers, on the keyboard turning
thoughts into words. Well, sometimes my cat tries to help. But, yeah, I’m
alone
in that task.
Even if I had the
luxury of a transcriptionist, which I don’t, I’d still have to get the words,
thoughts and mental images out of my brain and recorded for them.
It is just me.
And although I can
write anywhere, it’s easier with no distractions. The best way to ensure that
is to be alone with my computer (or paper and pen) – no people around, no TV,
ignore the phone, and definitely no internet!
Again, me alone.
BUT. . .
Without the characters
talking to me, there would be no story. I may be putting the words down, but it
is the characters, telling me their thoughts and their stories. Many writers
will talk about making the characters real. That can’t happen unless readers
can picture them really saying and doing the things on the page. Readers won’t have
an image unless I can create it as I write the story. So as looney as it may
sound, I am never really alone in the room as I write. Sometimes it is just the
character I’m focusing on there with me. Other times, it’s them and several
others, even from completely different stories, all vying for attention.
Stories also wouldn’t
exist without everyday people and events around me in life: an old woman at the
rodeo wearing a crazy cowboy hat; the solitary person sitting on a park bench; a
funny thing that happened at work one day. I never know when one of those is
going to pop up and lend some color to a scene.
Then there are the
folks who help me, and that list is long. There’s the writing buddy who talked
to me for over an hour to help me through a troublesome plot hole. Or the
friend who made one simple comment that sparked the writing juices after too
long a dry spell. There are the folks who’ve given me critiques, sometimes
painful ones, which have helped improve my writing overall. If you have loved
ones living with you, count yourself lucky if they help you make the time for
writing by keeping distractions at bay. And no list would be complete without
the editors, who return work with so much blood dripping from the pages that I sometimes
wonder if the words can be saved. Each and every one of these people helps me
craft the story; mold it into something worth sharing.
 |
| Sometimes my cat tries to help |
I also have to mention
the people who help get the story to the public. They spread the word once it’s
ready to publish. Then there are the readers. Yes, it’s my story, but I do have
to keep the readers in mind while writing, because without them it’s just words
on a page.
So in a very real
sense, I have a crowded house every time I sit down to write. And I can’t write
the best story possible, or even a good one, without them.
That makes writing is
a joint project.
But in the end, I
alone am the one responsible for making it happen.
I can’t blame the
writing buddy if the plot hole still exists, nor the characters for not talking
to me if I have been too busy to listen to them. If the words never get onto
the page, I have only myself to point the finger at.
So, for me, writing is
both a solitary venture and a team effort.
How does this fit with your image of a writer and their craft? If you're a writer, where do you fall on the solitary/team spectrum?
