‘All writers are vain, selfish and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives lies a mystery.’ George Orwell, 1946.

Its not been my overriding experience meeting writers, but I think there is some truth to Orwell’s words.

It was at a writers ‘networking’ event that I remembered George Orwell’s words (not a Deep Travel social don’t worry). The glazed eyes, the eagerness to finish small talk, the looking over the shoulder to speak to someone else; the experience was disheartening. There didn’t seem to be a genuine interest in getting to know people on a deeper level, it was LinkedIn playing out in real life. Obviously at a networking event you’re partly going in the hope of furthering your career, but I had hoped that finding a group of like-minded friends would also be in peoples minds too. This may have been more indicative of London than writers themselves, but under the surface I think there are similar attributes that form the make-up of a writer.

The experience reminded me of George Orwell’s book Why I Write, where he delves deeper into a writers characteristics. I explore some of the authors quotes in detail to see if they hold up against my own experiences.

‘ (Writers) desire to seem clever…’

From an early age I was always insecure about my own intelligence. This only grew worse when I dropped out of university without finishing my degree. In writing, there’s always been a sense of trying to prove myself, that I could make it on some level. It’s definitely not my main motive, but its there subconsciously and forms one of the many motives on why I write.

I think this is something that a lot of writers feel. Its one of the few professions where you don’t need qualifications to enter into it. George Orwell himself didn’t have a degree, and look what he went onto achieve. Its a bastion for the types of people that don’t fit into traditional education.

This motive I think is important when you’re starting out. It drives you past all the inevitable rejection and keeps you going. Eventually it’ll die down and you’ll realise the reasons why you’re really doing it, but its a good motivator in the beginning.

Christopher Hitchens

‘All writers are lazy’

There is an interview from the writer Christopher Hitchens, where he is asked what he would do if he wasn’t a writer. He explains that he wasn’t much good at anything else, ‘writing is all I ever wanted to do. Its what I am, rather than what I do.’ I think there is some relationship to this and being lazy. When I write, I’m tapping into a reservoir of energy and drive that I don’t have in other areas of my life. From the outside, it can look like laziness. But when your passion is so intense other activities pale in comparison, especially when your passion holds such a strong purpose.

‘Desire to be remembered after death’

I feel that writers bylines are not only held tightly for career advancement, but also in some way to cling to an idea of immortality. Again like the desire to seem clever, it’s not something that’s immediately apparent. However, when I think more deeply about it, being remembered as having an impact, or just feeling that you had some positive effect on the world, does form some of my drive. I don’t think it has to be all negative though, to want to live your life helping others through your writing should be celebrated. When I think to pieces that I have written that I’m most proud about, its the ones that have changed peoples lives in some ways, not the publication it was published in.

‘(Writers) are determined to live their own lives to the end.’

Its not all bad qualities that make up a writer. There is also a fierce self-determination to be themselves and live life the way they choose to. This is true even if their life choices go against financial logic. To quote Roald Dahl, ‘a person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom.’

As the cost of living continues to squeeze finances, it surprises me how many freelance writers continue their craft, despite the immense stress of doing so. I understand it though, separating writing and the writer is an impossible task. I see it, like in the Buddhist sense, that writing is my Dharma. Dharma, refers to your path in life, it is essentially what you were born to do. By pursuing your dharma you are living in harmony with yourself and aligning to the natural balance of the wider world.