5 Tell-tale Signs You Have the Mind of a Writer
It’s a blessing and a curse.
At the age of six I read Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and it was settled. I would be a writer. It wasn’t a cause of great celebration or deep thought; it was just at that moment I learned an innate element of who I was. The same way I learned that the earth orbited the sun; a law of the universe that I could do nothing about. It just was.
It just being made me rather lazy in my pursuit of success, though. I wrote constantly, don’t get me wrong. And I devoured books at an alarming rate. But there was never any urgency to it. It was just a part of my world like exploring in the backyard or brushing my teeth. A constant. When I was hungry I made a snack and when that weird inner urge called (which was often), I picked up a pen and wrote.
Though my laziness didn’t put me on the path to being a great novelist by 25, it did bring some clarity into what the mind of a writer looks like in its most natural state. Without a life strategy or ulterior motives. And there are some constants that seem to universally plague us.
Maybe they’re painfully familiar to you, too:
1. An obsession with words.
A great paragraph, novel, tagline, quote. You seek them out and obsess over them. You read something inspiring and you have a desire to sweep up the words with a tiny broom and stuff them down into your pocket. You’d be happier going about your day, just knowing they were close to you. You want to paint your walls with swirling quotes from books and poetry and conversation so that you’re surrounded by whimsical, powerful words. To you, they are more beautiful than great art or a lovely crown molding.
2. Books on books on notebooks on books.
You keep them everywhere and there are never enough. You want stacks of books in every room. Old and new; colorful, secretive. Each a little adventure just inches away. You don’t have to read them frequently or even notice them; being surrounded by them is enough.
You are never without a notebook. Writers talk about notebooks the same way some people talk about really rare scotch. With a mystical, admiring tone. You fill them with poems or lists or quotes from every day conversation that fascinate you. You may not have a plan for those words, nor the ones you want to sweep into your pocket, nor the ones you want swirling about your home, but you want to capture them and keep them close. Because there is nothing more fascinating.
3. “Inspiration.”
You get an instinct where you feel like you’re going to vomit words and must find something to write with immediately. Some people call this inspiration! They speak of their muses, or a Eureka moment that guides their hand into creation. It all sounds very whimsical and inspired. Most writers’ inspiration is more akin to a bodily function. It is in no way lovely to watch and feels nothing like fairy dust, I assure you. It feels very much like a reflex that you couldn’t possibly control if you tried. You type feverishly and fidget and bite your nails and only half-listen to anyone who tries to speak to you. It’s especially troublesome if “inspiration” strikes in the middle of a conversation with someone. “I really am curious what you think about the new taco joint Dan, but if I don’t get to a screen to write this immediately, I might actually die. Like totally dead. Gone forever.”
4. Nocturnal tendencies.
Your brain turns on about the hour that most people’s finally goes to rest, and sleep feels like the enemy. Or perhaps it startles awake in the wee hours of the morning before the sun has risen. Whenever it is, it is your hour, and you know it. The one time of day you can create magic if you are so lucky. Other times of the day are fine for writing, sure. But you can end up staring at a blank page for hours if you try to force it. Or spend three times the amount of time writing something that you’ll just have to fix later. Just accept an adjusted sleep schedule and learn to nap. It will serve you well.
5. Magic potion.
Don’t deny it, there is a certain blend of circumstances and substances that leads you to your most creative space. Maybe it’s two bourbons and some Mozart. Maybe it’s espresso and a beat up red arm chair in your living room. Maybe it’s the last quarter moon. Whatever it is, you have a special “potion” that allows you to get into your best headspace. It becomes a small ritual for you, much like the superstitious ball player who eats the same turkey sandwich and walks the same route to get to the ball field on game day. It’s your magic potion, and you at least believe it helps you create magic.
Writers have been seen as a little strange throughout history. And rightfully so: what a sleepless, quirky, distracted bunch we are. But let’s not forget the magic in it. The addictive beauty of it. When someone can write, and write well, they can bottle up the expansiveness of life. They can take a simple moment and draw out its depth and importance. They can breathe life and crush souls. It is one of the greatest powers of humanity.
Those of you who are plagued with the symptoms of writer-brain, I salute you. It is a strange and sometimes frustrating road but at least we’re on it together. The next time I’m sitting in my old arm chair vomiting words at 2am, I’ll raise up a glass knowing you’re somewhere doing the same. Cheers!
