Do you remember the short story called "The loneliness of a long distance runner"? It was a short story by Alan Sillitoe which was set in Irvine Beach, and published in 1959. It tells the story of a young man taking up long distance running to escape from the depressing surroundings of the borstal where he has been sent after he was convicted for theft.
But the long distance writer? I put that title deliberately as there is something very strange about anyone who tries to write a novel. You have to shut yourself away form people for many hundreds of hours and live in your own inner world. You have to concentrate on the paper in front of you or the computer screen. A novel writer will most likely have another job as well (a real job with a regular pay cheque!) so will be fitting in these period of enforced isolation between the hours of employment. There are surprisingly few people who can make a full time living from writing. Family time and time for interaction with other human beings may be severely limited.
And at the end of the process when an author emerges from their self imposed isolation with a completed novel they are expected to change and become the life and soul of every party as they travel round talking about, selling and promoting their work. They are expected to be a wit and raconteur par excellence - the very opposite to what they have spent the last however many months doing alone locked in their writing closet.
Writing is an individual activity and can be a lonely existence. But it is immensely rewarding too and that of course is why we do it!
You can get your copy of my novel "Capcir Spring" from Amazon either as a paperback or kindle download by clicking HERE if you are in the USA or here if you are in the UK
Image "Feet Of Runner In Evening Light" courtesy of Sura Nualpradid /FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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