A Paradox of Writing

A Paradox of Writing

Creating a book is a solitary endeavour. Writers sit alone and think and write. At least that’s what we tell everyone. There are times when we walk out to the kitchen for a snack or check emails or have just one more quick look at Facebook. Anything we can find to get away from an empty page will do as a distraction.

But when writers work, we are alone. We spend time inside our heads dreaming up stories and then refine and polish the words we have used.

It has been suggested that authors usually write about themselves. Although many people have been credited with the quote, it was Donald Murray who said, “all writing is autobiography.”

That might seem extreme, but we write about what we know and what we know best is ourselves. I think that it’s fair to say that many if not most characters from fiction are in some way a reflection of the author who created them.

All of this adds up to a risk of writing becoming an occupation of self-absorption.

Art is about communication and when we write, a big part of what we are doing is explaining ourselves. A book, even when it isn’t unambiguously an autobiography, tells the reader much about the writer.

But does this tendency for writers to think about ourselves turn us into narcissists?

Everyone likes attention. It is a natural human characteristic to look in a mirror as you walk by or to listen just a little more carefully when someone is talking about you.

But I think we can agree that to be balanced and mature people we need to consider others. No one likes a narcissist.

The Dali Lama suggests that the purpose of life is to be happy. While this may seem an oversimplification, he clarifies that “The basic source of all happiness is a sense of kindness and warm-heartedness towards others. We are all the same as human beings. We are born the same way, we die the same way, and we all want to lead happy lives.”

I believe that this holds true for writers as much as anyone else. In order for us to have a meaningful existence and to be happy we need to think of others. Perhaps we even need to have some modicum of altruism in our lives. Altruism is nothing more than putting others ahead of ourselves.

If the Dali Lama is right, do the habits and lifestyle of a writer put them at a disadvantage in the quest for happiness and meaning in life?

Fortunately, there is more to writing than navel gazing. Writers need to take in the world in order to create their own reality on paper.

One of the most important qualities a writer can have is to be curious. To be curious is to have an interest in the world outside of ourselves.

Good writers are fascinated by the people around them. It is only through caring about others that we can understand existence enough to write about it.

This is the paradox of the writer’s life. We must be interested in everything around us to understand who we are. If we want to paint a realistic picture of the world and our part in it, we must care for everything outside of ourselves.

Writing can be a source of joy. The stories we produce can bring smiles to the faces of our readers. Delighting others can be a source of satisfaction for any writer. As well, the process of writing can open us up to the rest of the world even when we are trying to explain ourselves.