Loneliness of the Writer - Ever-Present, Unexpected Curse

The loneliness of the writer is something that is incomparable to any other profession. And for most writers that I have known, it is the most unexpected and challenging obstacle to overcome.

Most writers start their careers by dabbling their literary toes in the water, an article here, a poem or short story there. But nothing too time consuming or obvious to the people around them. The writing is perceived as a hobby or a short term flight of fancy.

When that quaint and temporary diversion starts to draw the unsuspecting novice writer into its grasp the social aspect of the work becomes strangely darker and unknown. The people who once patted you on the back for writing an amusing story, now look at you as if Poe was sharing his addictions with you.

Few understand the writer, and his/her needs and drives to put pen to paper. The forces that motivate the creative mind are foreign to most people, and it is the unknown that pushes the writer inwards; to dive into their own imaginations and dark corners of their minds to scribble down descriptions and stories that reside there.

Writing is one of the few occupations in existence that is usually done completely alone. The seclusion of the creative process, the removal of the author from the roles of "real jobs", can lead to seclusion, isolation and anti-social behavior, as the inner motivations to write the perfect novel or poem take precedence over all else.

Some call this standard effect on an inspired writer a "sacrifice for their art". And a necessary one. The social ostracizing, the backhanded compliments and even outright scoffing from others when they learn your profession is that of a writer. This admonishment is the price paid to be creative in the world we live in today.

The only thing that validates a writer in the eyes of "regular folk" is money. Justification of pursuing such an odd career is being published and becoming wealthy from the book. They never see or accept the hundreds of hours of work done before your name is on the shelf in their local bookstore. As 99% of writers are not, and will never be, a King, Brown or Steele, we must live with the eccentric and odd tags and stereotype.

So how do we cope with this stigma, this outcast label that a writer's profession curses us with? Being innately social beings, how can we handle being cast from the flock?

By congregating with other "black sheep" from the creative world. Find and join a local writers group. Go online and commiserate with other lonely wordsmiths. Get out there, figuratively speaking, and find the others who are like you. There is sanctuary in numbers. But they are not going to come to you...seek and you shall find.

The loneliness of the writer will always be there, but the hopelessness of the feeling can be tempered. You are not truly alone, at least not as alone as it feels staring at a blank page, tapping your temple with a ball point pen at 5 a.m.