Off the Cuff / My Other Journal

What Drives a Writer Insane

“If you have to read, to cheer yourself up read biographies of writers who went insane.”
COLM TÓIBÍN
Hahaha! I found this quote on the net.

Truth is, in retrospect and close examination, real life is driving me insane, not writing. If someone goes insane writing, it might be because she received some weird rays from her computer, or wrote in a notebook with pen and got poisoned with ink, or ate the mouse (not the animal), as mouse action especially in Windows 8 can drive a person insane.

But let me stick to the quote for argument’s sake. Let’s see what can drive a writer insane, without even going into the business aspect of the craft such as rejections, agents, publishers etc.

1. Writer’s block: I don’t know what I can write on this subject because –don’t kill me but- I don’t really believe such a thing exists. On the other hand, it must have because so many writers complain about it. I mean, one might come to a standstill in one aspect of his writing, but he can write other things, like a letter, a list, rewrite a paragraph –his or someone else’s- or a story he knows, write a review, complain about a part or a person in his life, etc. If a writer can write anything at all, how can he complain of a block?

2. Putting the story on paper or in a word file: This happens to me a lot. I plan something in my head. I live with it for a few hours, even go to bed thinking about it, but then, when it is all written, the thing’s a flop with no hope of resurrection. EEEEK! Sometimes I go ahead and post it (if entering a contest) or delete it altogether. What could drive me insane is the amount of emotional investment and time on that &^*! project.

3. Staying focused on one piece: This too is among my pet peeves. Why is it that when I am on a project, thousands of other ideas pop up for other stories, poems, articles, etc.? I can’t just stop and take notes all the time on all those other ideas. Well, sometimes I do, but only to find out later that either the idea has sung falsetto or I have noted down a flimsy skeleton that can’t hold flesh later on.

4. Real life butting in: Aarrgh! Just when I sit down to write, someone needs me for something, some crisis pops up either with the house or the family, someone makes too much noise, someone just wants to talk to me and I can’t say no because I love them etc. etc…

5. Research problems: I think I have a great idea but it needs research with several fine points, but I can’t get them on the Google or any other search engine, and for deeper research, I need to hear from an institution or a person who is an expert on the subject and the whole thing may take days, even months, and I am never that patient. Then another twist in this: I get the precious info on that fine point only to find out it has no bearing on my story and I have wasted precious time going after an idiotic chase.

6. Putting on weight or running the risk of disease: Yes, that is a writer’s problem. It comes from applying one’s seat of pants to the seat of the chair for long hours at a time and forgetting the walking or gym regimen, thus running the risk of poor health and getting a scolding from the doctor. At each visit, my doctor asks: Have you been getting enough exercise? One of these days, I’ll really go insane trying to answer that question.
Come to think of it, hunger and having to go to the bathroom in the middle of something I’m so into can drive me insane, too.

With so many things that can drive us insane, I wonder how many of us has stayed sane after giving our years to writing. Honestly, I can’t vouch for myself.