A Misconception I Had About Writing

So, I was under the impression that I had to cut off from family, friends, and society in order to write something of significance, or of value, or a classic.

I thought that’s what solitude means — solitary confinement. I imagined the likes of Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Stephen King, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Leo Tolstoy, J.K. Rowling locked up in their rooms far away from their families or any obligations just working at their craft.

I thought they would be writing for hours and hours without a break, and the words would just flow or rather bleed from their pens, and so emerged a masterpiece from them.

I do not know if I can manage with that way of writing.

Now I have realized that all I need is to be in a deep, meditative state to write, a.k.a ‘flow’ state doing ‘Deep Work.’

And it could be achieved if I maintain a healthy relationship (which takes time and mental space) with my family, friends, and society.

A solution could be worked out. For example, you could write early in the morning, or you could write in the afternoon or evening and tell your loved ones that you won’t be able to take calls/messages during x-y hours.

And suppose you want to write a seminal, classic, ground-breaking novel that requires or rather forces you to immerse yourself completely in the process of writing that you’d hardly want to eat, much less talk to someone. In that case, I think you need to have an ‘understanding’, ‘supportive’, and ‘cooperative’ partner.

Otherwise, I guess you are on your own in your quest for excellence. If you are in a toxic atmosphere or relationship, you will have to leave it behind.

So, the crux is that you don’t have to go into a jungle and sit on top of a tree to be distraction-free and write your novel. You can do it at home, given you adopt a new lifestyle and adopt certain habits.

You can create a distraction-free environment at home and a calm and peaceful mind, which aids in the flow of creative juices.

And then, your next masterpiece is not far behind!