The People that make up a Writer
I watched The Social Network for the first time last week. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and (rightly or wrongly) it’s made me see Facebook in a different light. I’m more of a Google Plus man myself anyway. I did notice something about the personalities involved though, and that made me think about writers…
The Perfect Recipe
What I noticed (and what was perhaps the great tragedy of the film) was that despite the heartache they went through, the three founders of Facebook had just the right mix of personalities for a successful business. The combination of genius, showmanship, and a level-headed business mind was perfect. Unfortunately the team failed to communicate and were prone to petty squabbling.
I wouldn’t suggest for a moment that Facebook would be more successful without these arguments – it’s hard to comprehend what “more successful” would even mean. But the big three could have saved themselves a lot of trauma if they had been able to recognise each others’ talents and what role they had to play. Instead, stupid emotions got in the way. At least, in the film.
The Perfect Writer?
I was thinking about this, and came to the conclusion that the perfect expression of this would be to have the best personality traits of these characters in one person. Imagine how successful that person could be!
Then I realised – that’s exactly what a successful writer needs to be! These days, more than ever before, the writer is expected to be a creative, have a business head, and a nose for good marketing. It’s no longer enough to be able to churn out words – a writer, especially in the early stages of their career is required to build a platform for themselves. So let’s take a look at those characters and just how they relate to writing.
The genius
Mark Zuckerberg, as played by Jesse Eisenberg
The genius is the dreamer – the one with the big ideas and the know-how to make them happen. In The Social Network, the genius is of course Mark Zuckerberg, who invented Facebook. But the genius doesn’t necessarily get on with people (especially in the film), preferring to lock themselves away and work on their project.
If left to their own devices a genius may move from project to project if they take too long – there are always newer, more exciting ideas. A big idea has to be worked through to completion in a fever, or must be changeable enough to hold the genius’ attention over the long term.
It’s easy to see how this pertains to writing. Ever got bored of writing a novel because you’d had a new idea that was fresh, and demanded your immediate attention? Many writers I know leave a trail of unfinished projects in their wake. Many are also shy, and prefer working on their own (which is just as well, in many ways, because a writer’s profession can be a lonely one).
The frontman
Napster didn't make a lot of money, but it made Sean Parker a lot of connections.
Sean Parker (played by Justin Timberlake) was portrayed as bold, brash and arrogant. At first it seems like he has nothing to offer but hot air. But he’s the one that secures the company the angel investor they need to go big. He can sell, and he knows people.
A writer needs to know people. A writer needs to be able to shake people’s hands, get to know them a little, and help them out occasionally. They need to be able to talk about their book without being embarrassed about it, and they need to be able to sell it and themselves, whether this be to an agent or publisher, or to the public on their website (or the back of the book, even).
At the very least, as a writer, you need to be active on social networks and the internet in general, building up a fanbase (or at least people who know you exist, if you’ve got nothing to sell yet), and creating a place or places where people can reach you or find out about you.
Of course, on his own, the frontman is not much good. A lonely frontman has no product, and no one to promote after all.
The anchor
And finally, poor Eduardo Saverin.
The anchor is there to stop the madness. They formulate a plan and they make sure people stick to it. And they work hard. They are the reliable people. If I can screw with my metaphor to the point of confusion, they not only keep people’s feet on the ground, they also help steer the ship (metaphors in a blender, switch it on).
For a writer, this part of them is essential. It’s essential in getting things done; in making a career out of their hobby; in sticking with it when it seems most difficult. Your anchor helps you plan ahead, give yourself deadlines, put your nose to the grindstone and write every day, and stick to a project until it’s complete. It might sound like the boring role, but you need it!
To Each Their Own
People are very rarely everything they would like to be, or even everything they need to be. But at least we can be aware of it, and this should help us develop and take control of our lives and our writing.
I think I have moments when I am each of the people above, but I don’t know if I’m the right person at the right time or for long enough. I couldn’t even say that one particular part is stronger than the others, although I’m aware that my frontman persona is still a little too shy to be really useful, even though he’s come on leaps and bounds in the last two or three years.
So what personality fits you? Do you have bits of each? Is there one you have yet to master, or are you successfully harnessing the best of all three? Or maybe I’m talking rubbish! Rub your comments in my eyes, please!