...I have this one nasty habit. Makes me hard to live…
““...I have this one nasty habit. Makes me hard to live with. I write... ...writing is antisocial. It's as solitary as masturbation. Disturb a writer when he is in the throes of creation and he is likely to turn and bite right to the bone... and not even know that he's doing it. As writers' wives and husbands often learn to their horror... ...there is no way that writers can be tamed and rendered civilized. Or even cured. In a household with more than one person, of which one is a writer, the only solution known to science is to provide the patient with an isolation room, where he can endure the acute stages in private, and where food can be poked in to him with a stick. Because, if you disturb the patient at such times, he may break into tears or become violent. Or he may not hear you at all... and, if you shake him at this stage, he bites...””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The passage describes the intense solitude writers need, likening it to a private, almost animalistic state that resists external interference.
In simple terms: Writers need isolation to create.
Key Takeaway
Respect creative boundaries.
Themes
creativity
solitude
artistic temperament
relationships
mental health
Mood
intense
reflective
Type
artistic
psychological
When to use this quote
- writing sessions
- editorial meetings
- family life
- mental health support
Key Concepts
psychology of creativity
artist-writer dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- Can solitude improve work?
- When is collaboration essential?
A Different Perspective
Not all writers thrive in isolation; some benefit from collaboration.