by Mona Lisa Safai

Created on: September 19, 2008

Anyone who chooses writing as a profession does so because they realize writing is a necessity. Within their core being is the inherent need to write words on a page. It is a tormenting, thrilling path which many stray away from and justly so. Writers are a strange breed. They are isolated from the rest of the world, left with only their own minds to captivate the thoughts and emotions of readers who may reject their writing on the spot or praise them to infinity. It is indeed a peculiar species. Those that freely take on this profession are passionate and complex individuals.

In a book signing for his latest novel, Paul Auster was asked what advice he would give to beginning writers. With what seemed like an expression of an anguished expression of wistfulness and certainty, he responded, "Do not become a writer if you do not have to become one. Only become one if you cannot do anything else." While many may consider this somewhat harsh, the answer is more of a cautionary tale than anything else. He followed up by saying that saying that, "You should really want to write almost as if you are going to jump out of your skin." Again, the need must exist. It was fascinating to hear a writer be so blunt. It was almost disquieting and, yes, reassuring at the same time.

There is a certain comfort in knowing your profession. Whether it is being a writer, physician, or engineer, the level of effort is different for each profession, of course. However, for those striving for excellence in the creative world, effort and insight cannot be easily separated. Rather, they interact with each other to further the creative process. Both play vital roles, in that, effort enables writers to activate their creativity. Insight is the mechanism that writers reach for the express themselves whenever they need to translate a thought, feeling, or concept. Writers suffer from the inability to create when either effort or insight do not work in tandem.

While writers vary in great degree, they do hold some common characteristics. Conventional wisdom holds that in order to become a writer, one only needs to write. If no writing happens, then he/she is lazy or not serious about the creative process. These conclusions sound logical. However, they do not reach to core of what is really true for these creative minds. In actuality, they are experiencing fear. Whether it is fear of failure, fear of not being good enough, or simply being afraid to take the risk and write. It is fear. How do writers

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