Great Writing Demands Solitude
Serious writing is a torturous experience that demands solitude. For a writer to produce great pieces of writing, for creativity to rare its ugly head, a writer must banish loved ones for long periods or risk diluting the quality and quantity of his end product.
Serious writing can not stand company
Writers are a creative lot and this creativity demands solitude whenever possible for it to be best actualized. Forget the yapping we sometimes do online on sites like Triond and Bukisa. Great wring, real writing demands absolute solitude. It is only when your spouse is snoring the night away, or when he or she is traveling that the best pages of your novel can be written.
Writing creatively when all eyes are on you is impossible
Those who engage in creative writing will tell you that getting your best poem, story or novel out while all eyes are watching is not conceivable. Why is this the case? I guess it is because for us to create, for us to come up with beautiful works, we need absolute concentration, we need to remain focused on the task of creation alone.
Image by iagoarchangel via Flickr
Family and friends need to sometimes give way for great writing
I do not deny that I can write well in the presence of my wife or family but for the writing to come out the way I want it, for the writing to really reflect what I want to say, my wife and son need to be very silent, they need to merge with the room within which I write and not ask questions or demand answers. Is this possible?
My son finds typing one of the funniest games he can play
For my wife, it can be for some time but for the little guy, hitting the keys on the keyboard is among the funniest things to him and this can not pass him. When I write in his presence, he always wants to do the editing and for this reason he can not be trusted to be in the same room with his writing dad if the writing is creative.
Some of the greatest writers were never married or divorced along the way
Is it any wonder therefore that some of the best writers never married or were never married? Is it any wonder that most of them were physically and mentally sick and spend most of their days and nights alone? Is it any wonder that many others divorced the men and women in their lives and opted for solitude instead?
Serious writing does not request solitude, it demands solitude
Creative writing, serious writing demands solitude and whatever means is used to bring about this solitude is justified by the beauty of the end product, the absolute attractiveness of what is created.
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December 24th, 2010 at 4:31 am
Nice article
December 24th, 2010 at 4:54 am
Interesting
December 24th, 2010 at 6:22 am
good share
December 24th, 2010 at 6:51 am
Sometimes it is more than just solitude that brings out the best in writing. It is the source of inspiration along side hope of achieving things in life.
Some writers, myself included, don’t opt for a single life, but have it thrust upon us by the one up above. Sometimes many write with the hope of attracting the love of their life back.
Not all writers who write in solitude are mentally sick or physically sick, they are different and unique…. They do have a life, with a few trusted friends….
December 24th, 2010 at 7:13 am
Interesting topic. When I’m fully concentrated on writing, the things around seem don’t exist for a while.
December 24th, 2010 at 8:08 am
Nice article.
December 24th, 2010 at 8:21 am
Too much solitude makes for sad dudes to… so do not lock your self away to much Leo… lest the ones you love forget why they loved you in the first place, keep writing by all means, but life, and the living of it, is number one for inspiration, all best things come from your own experiences, so live life to its full then share in all its glory [I'm off for some me time] so take care Ho Ho Ho and have a very special one when it comes cheers and a wish your good lady and Huba a warm hearted Merry Xmas from PaPa Matt.
December 24th, 2010 at 8:28 am
that was lovely. Made me smile while reading too..
December 24th, 2010 at 8:47 am
Very true. I completely agree with you Jimmy. While inspirations can come from all ends, writing truly needs solitude.
December 24th, 2010 at 9:08 am
depends entirely upon the person, so for me there is one thing only i can say – humbug!
December 24th, 2010 at 9:17 am
Jimmy, while I find I can write in just about any environment, I agree; my best stuff comes when there is little to no outside intrusion. I usually write with either the tv on for company or some cool instrumental music playing low in the background.
December 24th, 2010 at 9:26 am
thanks for your advice, Jimmy, but at this moment I don’t think I will spend more time in Triond then now, as I have limited time and access here, and though I seem to spend very less time here, but actually I have spent many spare hours here daily and have forsaken many things, I may have to slow down a little instead.
December 24th, 2010 at 9:58 am
nice share
December 24th, 2010 at 11:48 am
Ah, if I could only ban my four-legged mischievous kittens from the room instead of playing with the mouse, typing on the keys, etc., I’d have it made, right?
I never thought about having solitude; it must be pure bliss, lol.
December 24th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Very beautifully expressed, Silaho. I know how it is to type with a little boy…my daughter has even pulled out three keys from the keyboard when she was small.
December 24th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Writing is a lonely art. Many cannot accept this fact.
December 24th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
I bet you did wrote this with your son somewhere else!
December 24th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
nice! but i thought you can plug-in a paino-instrumental and write, like me. why divorce!? lol
December 24th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
You are so right, You need that quiet little corner where your creativity can get into full swing. Merry Christmas.
December 24th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Jimmy, you make it look like fun, that’s why your son wants to type too. It’s a positive example for him to follow.
December 24th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Nice Share.
December 25th, 2010 at 2:31 am
Not only lonely but anti-social at times. it is important to get the balance right, of interacting with others and society and shutting oneself away to create. How wonderful that your son is already learning what writing is.
December 26th, 2010 at 9:40 am
Writing creatively when all eyes are on you is impossible. Why? I guess because writers are basically loners.
December 26th, 2010 at 10:23 am
Yes, writers have to become eccentric. Great points made as usual, and this makes me recall the lives of some great writers.
December 26th, 2010 at 10:35 am
I agree.Okay, I need to get the next plane to exile island right now.