I’ve started to attend a few writers groups and conferences, and inevitably I’ve met other writers. There was no avoiding it. They were there and I was there, and I could spend only so much time hiding in toilet cubicles.
Writers are a funny bunch, and I’m pleased about that. Let’s celebrate the non-standard. Here are five character flaws that would be devastating to the general population, but are quite useful for writers. Each comes with their own shadow side though, when the flaw becomes a problem even for the most writerly of writers.
Flaw 1: Delusional
Anyone who spends a huge amount of time writing must be delusional. It makes no sense to start writing a book and truly believe that one day you will be a published and respected author. The chances are low and the road is long.
But writers must believe that they will succeed. When they are listening to fellow writer’s professional horror stories they must think that it doesn’t apply. When they are in a conference session, looking at powerpoint slides outlining in stark clarity, the fractional chances of breakthrough, they must think they are the exception.
They must believe they are special. They must believe they are unique and precious. They must believe the rules aren’t for people like them. They must be delusion. I must be delusional. If I wasn’t I’d never would have started. And I have, so I must be delusional.
Shadow Side
Reality has to bite one day. If you are stuck then delusion won’t help. A cold shower in the icy waters of the real world will. Once freed, the hat of unrealistic dreams can be dusted off and placed back on the writerly head.
Flaw 2: Low Standards
I have frighteningly low standards. My wife can come home and be shocked at the state of the kitchen floor, and I just haven’t noticed. And when she meticulously points out all the horrible gunky areas, I still can’t see it. I mop the floor* and I pretend I can see the problem, but I can’t.
I’ve got the same terrifying low standards in my writing. I banged out a first draft of Softening in three months while working full time, and just about keeping my job and family operating within normal parameters. The only way I managed it was by never editing the draft. It was forward only – write a scene, read through it once, correct the worst grammatical errors, then move on. And if the story changes half way through and opens up massive plot holes, who cares. Leave it alone and continue. That’s what second drafts are for. Or maybe even third drafts.
* This is a lie. I never mop the kitchen floor, but if I pretend I do, then I look like a less terrible person.
Shadow Side
Low standards only work for early drafts. During the edits then your standards need to crank up until your standards are so high that a missing comma is an existential threat. It’s a tricky to balance high and low standards which leads to ….
Flaw 3: Obsessive
I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, and I red flag for Autism Spectrum under psychological testing, and I indicate for OCD as well. I’m a smorgasbord of neurodiversity. Consequently I’m a massive obsessive. When I get obsessed I can be very productive. I’ve written every day for six months without much of an effort. The relentless engine of obsession drives me on.
Shadow Side
It’s fine if you are obsessed with something productive. It’s a massive drag if you are obsessed with some time wasting or self-destructive pursuit. Unfortunately the obsessive community can’t pick the targets of their obsession. It’s a roll of the dice and the result could be insane writerly productivity or months lost playing a pointless computer game. It’s a crap shoot.
The the obsessive aren’t always obsessed though. When it goes, it really goes. It’s all or nothing. I’ve gone from being utterly obsessed with something to never doing it again, in the space of an afternoon. It’s not a very balanced way to be and I like writing, so I’m really hoping that my love of it won’t just switch off one day.
Oh, and being obsessive makes you a pain in the arse. That’s a problem.
Flaw 4: Oblivious
It’s useful to be able to block everything out and focus. If you can, then a world of writing spaces opens up. I can write on trains, planes, doctors waiting rooms, coffee shops, park benches, toilet cubicles – anywhere that I can sit. It doesn’t even need a flat surface. I can hoist up my backpack, balance my laptop, then I’m off.
Noise cancelling headphones are your friend here as well – standard writer’s kit, I reckon.
Shadow Side
Obliviousness is fine unless there is anything else in the world needs to be attended to. Then it’s very much not fine. Just ask my daughter about the time I completely forgot to pick her up from school because I was knee deep in the pet project du jour. She loves to tell people about it. It’s a mistake I’ll never be forgiven for – which is fair enough. She was stranded for over an hour.
Flaw 5: Odd Diddly Odd
Oddity a pain in the normal world but as a writer it’s useful to have an outsider perspective. It’s good to be a bit bloody odd. You need to write about something and it needs to be something original, or at least fresh. If you see the world as inherently absurd, then you’re in a good place to say something new about it. Weird people become writers and writers become a bit weird.
Shadow Side
This sucked when I was younger and cause all kinds of issues. I’m at peace with it now, so it’s fine. The world is a strange, amusing, fantastic place that frequently mystifies and often charms. It’s not a bad place to be. I quite like it here now.
Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash
