Take Your Prozac
If you’ve read any writing books, especially those “about life and the craft,� then you’ve likely heard quite a few times that writing is a lonely art.
They’re right.
Think about it. You sit for hours by yourself with nothing but music for entertainment and the word processor of your choice to stare at. (That is if you’re doing your writing and not wandering around on the internet or taking a sudden interest in how dusty your bookshelves are.) Sometimes you type, and sometimes you just sit there thinking. For hours. Alone.
It’s important for you to have some kind of support when you’re an author. Maybe you feel your art comes from your misery, but that can often come out as angst-ridden, woe is me, kind of “writing.� You may have a niche for readers, but it’s a small one, and one that will hiss and scowl at you if you try to write of anything other than your “woe�.
Most people skip over the dedication page when they’re starting a book. I know I did until I noticed a particularly cute and sentimental dedication in one of the books I read when I was younger. Ever since then, I like to see who – or what – authors dedicate their books to. Those are the people, pets, places, and events which helped the writer get through the lonely times spent writing. The writer knows he or she probably wouldn’t have finished the novel without him/her/it.
In his book On Writing, Stephen King talks about how, if his wife had uttered a word against how much time he spent writing, he would have had a hard time continuing writer. It was with the support of his wife – affectionately called “Tabby� – that his novel Carrie was continued on.
I have yet to see an author dedicate their book to Prozac or Zoloft, but I won’t be surprised when I do. It’s no wonder writers are depressed when they spend so much time alone. The unfortunate writers are those who feel their art is somehow less if they take the medication necessary to get them through life at least somewhat normally.
Depression isn’t something that is going to help your writing. In fact, it’s likely going to be the biggest factor keeping you from writing. You may find your misery an easy subject to write about at first, but focusing on it is only going make things worse for you anyway.
Without support, you’re not going to have much defense against the doubts that poke and proud at most, if not all, writers. If your support is a person, you can think about the good things he or she says about your work. If your support is a pet, pet it, take it for a walk, or whatever you can depending on what type of animal it is.
Squeeze that stress ball and wrap up with that favorite blanket. Depression is a serious problem.
I am very pleased to announce 451Press has introduced the blog Depression Talk. She’s just getting started out, but she’s already mentioned the importance of her Network in this post.
April 11th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Right now, I know almost exactly what my dedication will look like. There are several people that have really helped me get from where I was to where I am now, and have done so despite my being…well, me. And of course, my agent will get thanked because he/she will thoroughly deserve it for dealing with me despite my being…well, me. And probably my cats, too. Because they surely did something. And my grandmother, because she’ll never get to see my book in print.
April 11th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
April 12th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Dedication pages are my favorite parts of reading a book. I’m always curious to who they name and then I get to thinking how that name connects and why it was chosen for this particular novel. Was said person the inspiration for the book or were they the one that gave them to finish the book.
I don’t really mind being alone most of the time, especially when I’m writing. That’s my anti-depressant I guess. I’d never use any pills. Granted I know that sometimes anti-depressants are necessary for one to function.
April 12th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Well, that’s where it helps to be an introvert writer. However, sometimes it’s not the alone time writing that sends you into depression, but it can make it worse.
.
I love dedications, too.
April 14th, 2007 at 10:47 am
Loneliness… Being alone is actually what I like about writing. A lot of times, depression can inspire my writing. When it’s just me, alone in my room with a cold beer and a blank screen, I usually find it easiest to go nuts and really get creative.
Of course, after too much beer, things tend to get a little.. uh.. elusive and need some drastic revision (And sometimes deletion) in the morning….
Happy mediums, I suppose.
April 14th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
I like the alone time, too, for being able to write, but when I was at college and alone all the time, the need for human contact and the lack of getting it weren’t a good thing. The key is to strike a balance. Write alone, of course, but have things and people waiting for you when you step out of that room.
April 15th, 2007 at 12:26 am
JM I’m a loneliness addict. That’s the only way I can think. I get depressed when I’m surrounded by people:)(that’s a sort of joke)
April 15th, 2007 at 12:32 am