Issue 17, Volume 33, February 15/07, The Other Press
For years I considered myself a true writer, right down to my very soul. Writing is not just scripting words or stringing sentences together to sound good. It’s not just creating a good story or a means of getting attention. To me, it comes down to my personality, what makes me tick, my obsessions and habits, good and bad. Especially the bad. These reflections compelled me to compile a list of qualities in a true writer.
“I write for the same reason I breathe–because if I didn’t, I would die.” Isaac Asimov
#1) Neurotic
[noo–roh-sis, nyoo–]
–noun, plural -ses 
| 1. | Also called psychoneurosis.a functional disorder in which feelings of anxiety, obsessional thoughts, compulsive acts, and physical complaints without objective evidence of disease, in various degrees and patterns, dominate the personality. |
| 2. | a relatively mild personality disorder typified by excessive anxiety or indecision and a degree of social or interpersonal maladjustment. |
Every writer I know (myself included) is anxious, fearful, worrisome, paranoid. I don’t know if this is the chicken or the egg. Do you become neurotic from writing, or does being neurotic make you write? I think it’s a bit of both. You have enough material about your dysfunctional family to fill the Louvre. Once you write and let others read, you are baring your tender belly to the hyenas. The modern, media-obsessed world is cruel, brutally honest and greedy–hungry for meaty material to rip apart.
Taking on the profession of writing is scary, not just because of the fear of rejection or the job instability, but what will result on the page once you start. Things happen when you write – forgotten memories creep up, a whole new personality can emerge, crazy stories take on their own lives. Your pen or computer keyboard takes over, creating an entity that becomes a part of you. This entity will affect someone, perhaps enrage them, make them laugh, cry or fall asleep. What you think is great, someone may mock, and can make you want to curl up and hide for a while. All those things combined would leave even the most left-brained, logical cliff-jumper clinging to the edge.
“Writing is very different to having your photo taken. You are exposing yourself more, not physically but emotionally.” Benjamin Disraeli
#2) Obsessive
This quality goes hand-in-hand with neurosis. Once you start writing, you become obsessed with every detail and em-dash. Each word must be perfect. The number one rule for writing is not to edit while you write, and this is very hard not to do. While you write, you can hear your critics complain, “too much detail!” or “show me, don’t tell me!” The voices go on and on, and you have to push out the one that says you can’t write to save your life. Sometimes you write several paragraphs, save it, go to the grocery store, and a certain line keeps popping up in your head, it’s not quite right, and then a new word or adjective comes to you. You rush home, open the document, and know the exact spot to insert it. You are awakened at night by the same line, with more words to add or delete, and your plot continues in your dreams. You are all-consumed by this piece, and can not rest or concentrate on anything else until it is that brilliantly elegant piece of prose the Governor General has been waiting for all her life. Revise, revise, revise, revise. Edit, edit, edit, edit. A new form of obsessive-compulsive disorder is born.
“Obsession led me to write. It’s been that way with every book I’ve ever written. I become completely consumed by a theme, by characters, by a desire to meet a challenge. ” Anne Rice
#3) Procrastinative
If we are all-consumed by writing, why do we come up with so many creative ways to procrastinate? See “Neurotic” above.
“Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the ‘someday I’ll’ philosophy.” Denis Waitley
#4) Alcoholic
Every writer I know (again, myself included) loves the lure of alcohol, or some other substance. Why? Again, re-read “Neurosis” above. After each writing class, I find myself with my classmates at the local watering hole, drowning ourselves in our favourites, mine being gin and tonic with a twist of lime. The joys, pain and tolerance of writing just go hand in hand with the numbing-out and false hopes that booze induces. When I read my fellow writers’ blogs, they croon the praises of whiskey that sustains them during a research report and comforts them afterwards. Each teacher in each type of writing on the first day of class confessed to the high rate of alcoholism that accompanied their profession. We all felt right at home.
“I work until beer o’clock.” Stephen King
#5) Insecure
Being insecure could go with any profession, but confidence is something not carried well with writers. I think it’s because of the honesty that needs to accompany writing. You must be honest with yourself, your audience. You can not lie, or hide. And this honesty breeds insecurity. All confidence that people express is fake, an attempt at deceiving their competition and coworkers into intimidation so they can be on top and look good. When you are writing, you cannot fake this, and even though you may express such confidence outwardly to get published, deep down you doubting your abilities and past success. When you get that contract from the publisher, you are sweating bullets as to how exactly you will pull it off. Even successful writers admit that each book was a crap shoot in the beginning. Yet they keep plugging away because they must write, they must change the way the world thinks, not just to be successful or see their name in print (well, maybe just a little).
“Writing is just having a sheet of paper, a pen and not a shadow of an idea of what you are going to say.” Kurt Vonnegut
#6) Courageous
As Margaret Atwood said, “You need a certain amount of nerve to be a writer.” All this risk-taking, revealing yourself and keeping at it after so many rejection letters takes a lot of courage and persistence. A writer must never give up, and despite all the negative connotations that go with writing, must never doubt him or herself. Positive affirmations go a long way, restoring the unknown inner strength each writer has.
“The act of writing is an act of optimism. You would not take the trouble to do it if you felt that it didn’t matter.” Angus Wilson
blaak sheep 
From your nephew.
This is a brilliant list, almost frighteningly accurate. I should think it goes for most artists, in some form. Nothing is quite like writing 27 pages of nonsensical something-or-other at 2am then rushing off and composing a piano sonata no one will ever hear.