Interested, Are majority of writers alone?

[SeverinR]

After reading several bio's, and having a man in a class mention being alone as a driving force for writing.
(Did not connect this prior to the man mentioning it)

Are most writers sitting alone in a room with multiple pets?

I wrote in school, not seriously, but I did write. I wrote some in the military, mostly when I was stationed at a remote sight.
I started writing seriously after my divorce.
I have two cats, and a puppy.

Is writing the result of to much time alone? Or am I just noticing more of the lonely writers?

 

[Caged Maiden]

I hope not... that sounds sad to me.

To be a contradiction, I started writing at 21 because I hated my boring job (car sales) and my coworkers. Now, however, I am 31, have been married for 9 years and have four kids (6, 4, 2, and 6 months)... oh and an obnoxious eleven year old dog. My life is busy busy. It's a good thing I write quickly, because I also run a business selling costumes and doing custom clothing, and pack up all my stock a few times a year and go camp and vend.

I think art in general has more participants with time than very busy people, but I sincerely hope that people who have a passion for something find a way to fit it into their lives. It leaves one feeling hollow when they deny their heart its creativity... and it would be a shame if such denial caused resentment to the family who should inspire and support them.

 

[thetraveler]

Alone? No. Choosing my circle of friends wisely? Yes. I'm young. But how young is for you to figure out... I still live at my parents house and I'm not old enough for it to be creepy or weird. I spend a lot of time with my four best friends, have a girlfriend who I am going steady with(minus parental meddling from her family...), and have a great church family--though I hate to break it to my guys group that they won't all get free copies of my book . The one aspect I am alone in is writers, though thank God I found this forum.

It's not that I don't know writers, or even that I don't know fantasy/sci-fi writers... It's just that in the circle of writers I know, I am the only one actively pursuing publication. I'm pounding out words as fast as I can in order to start querying in the next two months or less. No one else is doing this. Sure, they've got drafts going, some even have finished novels. But when I'm like: "So, who you looking at for agents/publishing houses?" They're all like: "What?"

So I think every writer has some (albeit small) degree of loneliness in his life, but then again, doesn't everyone?

 

[Devor]

Is writing the result of to much time alone? Or am I just noticing more of the lonely writers?

I'm typing this with a 6 month old sleeping in my arms. There's at least a lot of family people on these forums. But then, most of us are also struggling for more time to write.

 

[Steerpike]

Most writers I know are either married or in long-term relationships.

 

[Saigonnus]

I am married to a wonderful Mexican woman... don't know many writers personally, but many in their own "about the author" sections are married or in committed relationships. I write for a hobby more than for publishing and sharing my stories with the world; so maybe I am not "technically" a writer.

 

[San Cidolfus]

It's good to see that most of the wordsmiths here are in committed, healthy relationships, and that it's an observable normality in the wider literary world. It gives one hope. Not this one, mind you. Emotionally fragmented, sociopathic loners continue to be the vogue minority. Go me.

 

[Saigonnus]

But how young is for you to figure out... I still live at my parents house and I'm not old enough for it to be creepy or weird.

In many societies and cultures around the world it is common for people in their 20s, 30s or even 40s to live with their family depending on their economic situation. For example in Central and South America you'll often time see three generations of family living under the same roof. Family is simply more important than is typical in first-world nations and it saves money for the "family" to have a single home instead of making payments on three different ones. I don't consider it weird (especially with the economy the way it is) that people still live with their parents.

The "American" way of life often is backwards when in regard to the family dynamic... many families (my own included) get so spread out with the American dream of having a home, car, and all that goes with it that they lose sight of the fact that family is probably one of the most important things we have. Many people don't know their first cousins, aunts or uncles if they live far enough away that travel to see them isn't cost effective.

 

[grahamguitarman]

I'm married with kids

 

[Rikilamaro]

I'm divorced, but I do have a son, a dog, a cat.

 

[The Blue Lotus]

I'm never alone the 99 other voices in my head keep me quiet amused all day long! :wink:

No really though, I don't think the EMO writer is the norm. It just sells better in movies and the like.

Most of us are well adjusted people with lots of love in our lives.

And I'm sorry but I just have to add that being married does not mean you are not alone...

 

[Ireth]

I'm single, but I'm also relatively young and not ready for long-term relationships yet.

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

I'm married (coming up on 10 years next month) with two kids, 7 and 3. No pets at the moment. We had a cat that died a couple of years ago (the wife and the cat came together as a set); I'm allergic to cats, so we'll probably get a dog once we get the fence in our back yard fixed (right now, a dog could easily escape through it).

 

[Xanados]

I'm never alone the 99 other voices in my head keep me quiet amused all day long! :wink:

No really though, I don't think the EMO writer is the norm. It just sells better in movies and the like.

Most of us are well adjusted people with lots of love in our lives.

And I'm sorry but I just have to add that being married does not mean you are not alone...

I wouldn't use the term "emo" to describe someone who is not in a relationship.
Emo is apparently some sort of teenager fashion style and music genre. That has nothing to do with lonely people. Is a homeless man an emo? No.

 

[SeverinR]

In many societies and cultures around the world it is common for people in their 20s, 30s or even 40s to live with their family depending on their economic situation. For example in Central and South America you'll often time see three generations of family living under the same roof. Family is simply more important than is typical in first-world nations and it saves money for the "family" to have a single home instead of making payments on three different ones. I don't consider it weird (especially with the economy the way it is) that people still live with their parents.

The "American" way of life often is backwards when in regard to the family dynamic... many families (my own included) get so spread out with the American dream of having a home, car, and all that goes with it that they lose sight of the fact that family is probably one of the most important things we have. Many people don't know their first cousins, aunts or uncles if they live far enough away that travel to see them isn't cost effective.

The stigma when I was growing up was living with parents meant creepy or failure to thrive, but in the economy today, people need to share bills to make it. So it is more acceptable to live with family.

And I'm sorry but I just have to add that being married does not mean you are not alone...

Never so alone as when I was married to a stranger.

Good to know writing doesn't mean lonliness. When I get rid of lonliness I won't get rid of writing.
It seems like the last four author bios I read were author lives alone with rescue_____(animal(s)).

 

[The Blue Lotus]

I wouldn't use the term "emo" to describe someone who is not in a relationship.
Emo is apparently some sort of teenager fashion style and music genre. That has nothing to do with lonely people. Is a homeless man an emo? No.

Ok I'll give you that. For lack of a better word I used what I used. Got a better word?

 

[Elder the Dwarf]

I wouldn't use the term "emo" to describe someone who is not in a relationship.
Emo is apparently some sort of teenager fashion style and music genre. That has nothing to do with lonely people. Is a homeless man an emo? No.

No need to nitpick. I'm pretty sure Lotus was referring to the popular image of the single, friendless, depressed writer that has become so common. Emo isn't a bad simile.

 

[The Blue Lotus]

No need to nitpick. I'm pretty sure Lotus was referring to the popular image of the single, friendless, depressed writer that has become so common. Emo isn't a bad simile.

Exactly Elder, tyvm

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I never shut up about my wife and kids - two daughters and "The Dragon," whose gender will be revealed, hopefully, in three weeks.

I actually started writing better when I was married... maybe because I figure it had to be good enough to show my wife.

 

[Saigonnus]

And I'm sorry but I just have to add that being married does not mean you are not alone...

This is certainly true, considering modern society's need to have both parents working to support their family, hence the reason some people have affairs or have "open" relationships. Many couples only see each other for a couple hours before they go to sleep or in the morning, not really enough to have a healthy relationship.

The wife and I are only apart 6 or 7 hours out of the day; and I am sleeping during much of this time so I don't miss her that much, the rest of the day we are together even if we are working on our seperate things or grading papers (she's an English teacher). We always set aside time to be alone together without much for distractions; whether snuggling to a movie or wandering the mall just looking at stuff.

I do know a writer come to think about it and she is all alone with like 4 cats... so obsessed with reading and writing that she got pulled over numerous times for reading while driving and got her license taken away. :wink: