Super Writer!
Whilst reading over my last post, I was struck with the feeling that I was living some mysterious double-life! I was writing about how the act of writing generates new ideas (the irony of this post is not lost on me), and how the more you write, the more the writing mindset stays with you.
But in my daily life, that writer’s mind, though present, stays somewhat dormant – in the background. I go about my day job, my life as a husband and father, and although the writer is there, he does not act. Not yet.
Could my superhero fantasies be coming true?
My Secret Identity
Is it a bird? Is it a... Oh, yes - it is a plane. Never mind. Image courtesy of Chris Gladis on Flickr
I guess this feeling comes form the nature of writing. It is a solitary practice, and takes place in your mind a lot of the time anyway – your fingers may be moving over the keyboard but it’s all going on internally. Not only is writing locked away in this respect, but often (ideally), it is compartmentalised into dedicated time-slots in your day.
This combination makes it seem like a hidden practice; a secret.
And it is a somewhat heroic secret, no? It’s the steady toil against unstoppable forces of writers block, insecurity, other commitments, sleep, and all that evil stuff. Achieving anything out of the ordinary – striving to make any part of yourself better, does seem to require a tireless commitment akin to a superhero’s training.
Superpowers and Saving Lives
Sure, we don’t have superpowers, but neither did Batman. Then again, he was fighting a never-ending battle against organised crime, and I’m trying to finish a book. Hmm…
But, I thought, surely I’m not the only one to compare the secret writing identity to superheroes? Sure enough, someone’s always had your idea before you.
M. McGriff talks about the superpowers that heroes have – the ability to see what others can’t, skin of steel… Now I know it’s only a bit of fun, but I wouldn’t like to compare these things (true though they may be) with superpowers. It implies innate talent, or a gift. Writers to me are normal people, but people who are trained in their craft. Like Batman. Does it sound like I want to be Batman?
Amy Sunderberg makes the case for the writer as a true hero. For her, it’s not just about the toil, dedication and training that a writer has to go through; it goes beyond beating impossible odds to get a book written and published, to something that can deeply affect other people’s lives.
Again, I am somewhat reluctant to agree with this. Not because I think writers can’t affect someone deeply and improve (even save) lives, but because I don’t think that applies to all writers. Perhaps more relevant to my position is that I don’t think my work could possibly have this affect on someone. Maybe one day I will have that magical idea that infuses my work with such depth, but for now at least, that people are entertained and think a little is more than enough for me.
Then again, maybe that is something worth striving for in those lonely writing hours. The amount of effort required, even to get something finished, should be worth having some real affect on people. Maybe, after all, I’m not a hero yet, but Im a hero in training (just as I’m a writer in training), and one day… one day…
Or maybe I’m just getting delusions of grandeur. I am rather tired – I’ve been writing since 5am in my underpants, wearing my bedsheet as a cape.