Behind Every Great Writer

Posted on Sep 14th, 2012 | 149 comments home title

I saw this comic on Facebook (thanks Sandie!) and found that it came from “Incidental Comics,” the website of Grant Snider. Grant has this to say about it:

“This illustration appears in the New York Times Book Review alongside a review by Christopher Benfey of John Sutherland’s “Lives of the Novelists.” Sutherland’s book profiles a long list of notable writers and the personal events that may or may not have influenced their creative output. I tried to distill the typical experience of a literary icon into nine small panels. I’m certain that many of our great writers have worked in a coal mine and owned a small poodle.”

So my question for you today is, how do you complete the sentence?

Behind every great writer is…

Leave it in the comments, and have a great weekend!

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http://www.lifeisstory.com Josh Olds

…the hard, unfeeling back of a chair.
- http://@RefiningMoments Gregory Hernandez
  
  The need to stand & stretch
http://www.inspirewriters.com Elizabeth M Thompson

A husband with a “real” job who doesn’t mind doing dishes at home.
- http://www.corinneoflynn.com Corinne O’Flynn (@CorinneOFlynn)
  
  *like*
- http://lesleyannmcdaniel.com Lesley McDaniel
  
  *wish*
- http://einefeistyberg.wordpress.com Cherry Odelberg
  
  Yes, that would help.
- http://www.joannekraft.com Joanne Kraft
  
  AMEN, Beth!
- SJOlson
  
  I like,like,like
- http://pjcasselman.wordpress.com/ P. J. Casselman
  
  Hmm. I don’t think I can get one of those in Kansas. Just sayin’…
- Ann Bracken
  
  Mine doesn’t do dishes but he does all the cooking. Definitely a blessing!
http://cherylbarker.blogspot.com/ Cheryl Barker

A ready supply of M&Ms
http://mtclosetowin.blogspot.com Marie Cauley

…a mother-in-law who wants to know why you can’t just get a “real” job.
- http://www.thevoiceofstobby.com Natasha
  
  Welcome to my world
  - http://mtclosetowin.blogspot.com Marie Cauley
    
    Makes for fun times doesn’t it? (NOT!) LOL
http://Danieljfriedman.blogspot.com Dan Friedman

A jealous, less-great writer, holding a loop of piano wire.
- http://mesummer.wordpress.com Mary Elizabeth
  
  I loved this! Not that I’m that writer. Not at all.
- http://mtclosetowin.blogspot.com Marie Cauley
  
  Ha! I’ve been there…suffice it to say I no longer have contact with that jealous writer “friend”. )
- http://lalammar.net Layla
  
  Lol! Love this!
http://writeandmakemoney.blogspot.ca/ Brian

Someone who writes.
- Camily
  
  YES.
Teresa R

family drama
http://careann.wordpress.com Carol J. Garvin

… is a passionate soul and the fearlessness to risk exposing it.
http://www.gabrielle-meyer.blogspot.com Gabrielle Meyer

…is a big dream.
http://www.rasavary.com Rodney Savary

A passionate desire, which at times is misinterpreted – both by others and himself – as need.
http://pjcasselman.wordpress.com/ P. J. Casselman

A sore backside from sitting at a keyboard and at least one person who mentored them at a turning point.
- http://pjcasselman.wordpress.com/ P. J. Casselman
  
  Oh and a little cartoon fun I created for the occasion-
  
  http://pjcasselman.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/naysayer-humor/
  - http://jennym-talesfromtheredhead.blogspot.com Jennifer Major @Jjumping
    
    That was great!
  - http://theotherstephenkingonwriting.blogspot.com Stephen H. King
    
    That was great!
  - http://einefeistyberg.wordpress.com Cherry Odelberg
    
    Yes! That’s my secret: construct heros the way they ought to be and kill off those villains!
Alicia Cooper

A really strange brain and trauma from being a middle child. I think the best writers were probably middle children. If Jan Brady were real, she’d be a best-selling novelist!!
- http://pjcasselman.wordpress.com/ P. J. Casselman
  
  Marcia, Marcia, Martian…blond Martian? Blond girl meets Martian at high school and…that’s groovy!
- http://mtclosetowin.blogspot.com Marie Cauley
  
  But she cancels her date with the Martian to go out with a vampire. She tells the Martian that something suddenly came up!
  - Alicia Cooper
    
    Oh, the stories she could come up with!! Too funny!!
- http://talesfromtheredhead.blogspot.com Jennifer Major @Jjumping
  
  SHe’d keep on, keep on, keep on writin’ all the the night!
  
  One of the cheesiest moments in TV history, brought to you by polyester.
  - Alicia Cooper
    
    Thats hilarious!! Now that song is stuck in my head!!!
    - http://mtclosetowin.blogspot.com Marie Cauley
      
      And her Novel of the Year Award would be a silver platter…
- http://talesfromtheredhead.blogspot.com Jennifer Major @Jjumping
  
  …sorry, I forgot that 4th ‘keep on’. My bad.
http://www.camilleeide.wordpress.com Camille Eide

…a ginormous pile of dirty laundry and dishes.
http://www.camilleeide.wordpress.com Camille Eide

…a ginormous pile of dirty laundry & dishes.
- http://pjcasselman.wordpress.com/ P. J. Casselman
  
  I see you have two piles.
  
  (Don’t you love it when it says “fail” and it posts twice?)
- http://talesfromtheredhead.blogspot.com Jennifer Major @Jjumping
  
  Hhhmmmm. Evil twin reveal? OR a rupture in the membrane that separates Camille from Camille’s parallel universe? OR a sign that I had too much sugar today???
Christine N.

… a husband who understands when I talk to myself.
http://addyrae.com Addy Rae

A mom/sister/friend who loves your work no matter how little she/he understands it or how bad it is.

Also, that neglected spouse? Totally saves my bacon on a regular basis.
http://mellysramblings.blogspot.com Mel Henry

…an empty liquor cabinet and a good therapist.
http://www.lettersfromvalentinahepburn.blogspot.com Valentina Hepburn

…a literary agent?
http://www.by-julietbonnay.com Juliet Bonnay

A story that absolutely insists that it has to be told, and won’t set you free until the job is done – even if it takes twenty-five years!
- http://antvinbat@msn.com Anthony Battista
  
  I can relate to that,I have been unable to work due to a accident,so I am trying to get this Book that I’ve had inside me OUT..lol,trying to learn the craft…even if it takes all of my time and energy…which it does.lol
  - http://www.by-julietbonnay.com Juliet Bonnay
    
    Anthony, what I did was just write the story that I needed to tell and as I did, I learned so much about the craft of writing. When an editor from a publishing house said that I hadn’t told “the whole story” I began rewrite after rewrite, which has gone on for twenty years. During the rewrites I not only found the “whole” story, but I also learned the craft of writing. Now I am finally onto the final rewrite.
    
    So may I suggest that it might be best for you to get your story out first, and then in the process of rewriting to polish it up, you learn the craft of writing as you go. That way your story will be fresher and won’t get bogged down in technique, allowing you to be freer to express what you so obviously need to do. Best of luck!
http://findingtimetowrite.wordpress.com Marina Sofia

… is an optimistic belief that the world is ready and eager to hear your story
- http://pjcasselman.wordpress.com/ P. J. Casselman
  
  Ooo good one!
http://dorothystewartblog.com Dorothy Stewart

a great editor who said YES! (Thank you to Alison Barr, Malcolm Stern, Philip Law, Su Box, Rebecca Winter. I simply couldn’t have done it without you.)
http://gwynweyantsgreatlyblessed.wordpress.com Gwyn weyant

All the imagination that as a kid made you the weird kid.
http://www.bohenley.com Bo Henley

…that annoying relative waiting to say: “I told you so.”
http://www.jbdinizo.com Alice DiNizo

someone who believed in you when no one else did.
http://www.authorkathybosman.weebly.com Kathleen Bosman

A great editor of course! And critique partners! And maybe a father who bought them lots of books as a kid. Love all the answers here and love the cartoon. Thanks for a laugh!
http://www.gaellynch.blogspot.com Gael Lynch

A pair of worn-out writing pants!
http://www.michaelinfinito.com Otin

…a stack of unpaid bills.
http://publishness.blogspot.com/ Angela Brown

S.T.E.A.M. – Something That Encourages And Moving.
http://talesfromtheredhead.blogspot.com Jennifer Major @Jjumping

People who understand what “I’m in a groove” means and walk away slowly.
- http://theotherstephenkingonwriting.blogspot.com Stephen H. King
  
  “Slowly,” hell. Walk away quickly and quietly. And understand that the fingers rappatap-tapping on the keyboard is the non-verbal equivalent to “I’m in a groove.”
  - http://pjcasselman.wordpress.com/ P. J. Casselman
    
    Around here, PJ @ keyboard= “Oh good, you’re not busy.” I’m going to put a manikin in the counseling chair.
    - http://www.talesfromtheredhead.blogspot.com Jennifer Major @Jjumping
      
      I cannot resist…”mannequin”.
      - http://pjcasselman.wordpress.com/ P. J. Casselman
        
        I meant a pygmy. *smirk*
      - http://www.talesfromtheredhead.blogspot.com Jennifer Major @Jjumping
        
        Uh huh….Sure.
Jerry Eckert

A yearning to be something other than mundane.
Bill

…a lot of mistkes mistakes.
Jerry Eckert

a shy, quirky kid who never had any friends and thus developed this great fantasy world in which he lived.
- Debbie Watley
  
  Yes!
- http://mtclosetowin.blogspot.com Marie Cauley
  
  That sure sounds familiar!
http://ibischild.blogspot.com marion

…the past.
- Camily
http://www.fallible.com Katy McKenna

….is the feeling that there are still some words out there that have never been put in this exact order…yet.
http://www.sueharrison.com Sue Harrison

…someone who believes in her.
Isabella

Every great writer has an even better friend. Someone who pushes and say, “Not only can you do it. You will do it, and it will be amazing.”
Debbie Watley

A well-used library card.
- Camily
  
  Right!
http://www.laramsey.com Lori @LARamsey.com

The determination to succeed on our own merits.
http://veronicasicoe.com/blog Vero

…a critic rolling his eyes.
http://rmabry.com Richard Mabry

…a door through which they want to escape.
http://leahegood.com Leah Good

…even better characters.
http://mardilink.typepad.com/mardis_link/ Mardi Link

A sore back and a stiff neck!
http://theotherstephenkingonwriting.blogspot.com Stephen H. King

Behind every great writer is…

…a great big, well-used coffee pot, of course.

‘cept that mine’s beside me, not behind. Is that what I’m missing? Would I be a great writer if I turned just so….

…yeah, I need a disclaimer: never mind the strange musings of this half-asleep writer who needs more coffee before going in to do his day job.
- http://pjcasselman.wordpress.com/ P. J. Casselman
  
  Location, location, location!
http://www.SarahAnneLoudinThomas.wordpress.com Sarah Thomas

. . . the Holy Spirit whispering ideas and massaging her shoulders.
- Nancy Kay Bowden
  
  I love this–and agree!
- Didi Nicely
  
  Precisely!
http://www.TheSolomonPress.com Samuel

many stories he knows he cannot tell…
http://myquirkycity.wordpress.com Heather

A really bad wardrobe because we never socialize anyway.
- Donna Fentanes
  
  yep!
Dana McNeely

A grueling day job, which teaches her she must write the same way she works – HARD!
http://writersharonkirkclifton.blogspot.com/ Sharon Kirk Clifton

… an enormous stack of great books read deliberately by the writer.

Write on!
- http://www.jmbray.com J.M. Bray
  
  I have every book I’ve read since 1985. Maybe this bodes well?
  - http://writersharonkirkclifton.blogspot.com/ Sharon Kirk Clifton
    
    LOL! That’s amazing, J.M. Bray! Could be, considering that much of what we know about our craft comes through a process of literary osmosis. I’ve realized of late we can learn also about excellent writing though works that fall short of that high mark.
    
    Write on!
Donna Fentanes

a lot of books.
http://danielfcase.com Daniel F. Case

…a massive pile of HORRID manuscripts threatening to escape into the wild and embarass you to death if you stop writing.

D.
http://einefeistyberg.wordpress.com Cherry Odelberg

The desire to fix people – the only way you can fix people is through fiction.
- http://www.talesfromtheredhead.blogspot.com Jennifer Major @Jjumping
  
  I LOVE this, Cherry!!
- http://pjcasselman.wordpress.com/ P. J. Casselman
  
  Yep, in real life their “buts” get in the way.
- Alicia Cooper
  
  I sooo agree with this!!!!
http://www.joannekraft.com Joanne Kraft

A better writer with MUCH better stories. Except she values her relationships more than her successful career.
http://www.beduwen.com Beduwen

… the shadow of a doubt!
http://www.jmbray.com J.M. Bray

A novel that was put on the rack and given time to age. Sometimes it even turns out to be the one that’s published.
http://redroom.com/member/jm-cornwell/blog J M Cornwell

I always find it interesting that people think writers are all drunks or alcoholics or both. I agree with most everything else, especially the hard boring work that is the day job (or night job) in order to afford to write, but I’d add a job that sucks the creative juices and life right out of you while still trying to write.
- http://mtclosetowin.blogspot.com Marie Cauley
  
  Been there! Had to leave a job that sucked the life out of me and threatened to break my spirit. My writing improved by leaps and bounds after that!
http://www.love-laugh-learn.com Deanna

a group of family members and friends wondering if they are THAT character!
http://lindsayharrel.blogspot.com Lindsay Harrel

…the love of story.
http://www.artesianministries.org Donna Pyle

…Starbucks on speed dial and loyal friends leaving daily chocolate fixes on the front porch.
- http://pjcasselman.wordpress.com/ P. J. Casselman
  
  Chocolate on the porch? You have elves for friends? *grin*
  - http://www.artesianministries.org Donna Pyle
    
    As long as they’re bearing chocolate, they could be an elf, hobbit, dwarf, gargoyle, leprechaun, pixie, troll, gnome, acromantula, or blast-ended skrewt. Just bring the goods, ring the door bell, and back away quietly.
http://KlockKhronicles Tim Klock

…a burning desire to be like Mark Twain who said once he got published, he never had to work again a day in his life.
http://www.suzannebrandyn.com Suzanne Brandyn

Behind every great writer is a professional editor, and/or an understanding agent.

That use to be the case, but with the few Indie authors doing well, I’m not so sure now.
Lori

Lots and lots and lots of caffene.
Didi Nicely

Stacks upon stacks of unfinished AP Statistics homework.
http://dalesittonrogers.wordpress.com Dale S. Rogers

…a sleepless night.
http://lilliputians-land.blogspot.com/ naureen

Fixed income and a room of one’s own. Virginia Wolf was right.
http://hutt-writevoice.blogspot.com Linda

…is the joy of stringing words together, whether they’re ever published or not.
- Alicia Cooper
  
  Linda, yesssss!! That’s me!!
http://showknowgrow.com Melinda Viergever Inman

…an obsessed person who is slightly OCD and who has difficulty managing inspiration.
- http://myquirkycity.wordpress.com Heather
  
  So true!
http://www.martzbookz.blogspot.com Martha Ramirez

LOL! Love it!
Beth Browne

Omg, ROTFLOL! Love the neglected spouse and the piano wire. Too good. Love the cartoon too. You so rock, Rachelle. I needed cheering up today, recently lost a friend to a horrible murder/suicide domestic violence. This gave me the first good laugh I’ve had since Monday. <3
http://www.kristenbrakeman.com Kristen Brakeman @sandwichgenmom

evil thoughts
http://mtclosetowin.blogspot.com Marie Cauley

I thought of another… the ghost of Ernest Hemingway whispering in her ear, “Now you know why writing drove me to drink.”
http://childrensbooks.about.com/ Elizabeth Kennedy

…a helpful librarian and a great public library.
Pingback: Friday Features #22 - Yesenia Vargas
http://inkydancestudios,wordpress.com Charlene Dietz

A love for creating new worlds with unusual people and a glass of good wine.
http://authorheatherhart.blogspot.com/ Heather

…a stack of inspiring books.
http://kristinlaughtin.blogspot.com Kristin Laughtin

…a love of words and stories and a lot of hard work.

Those are the only things that are universal.
http://www.peterdehaan.com Peter DeHaan

…is a God-given compulsion to create using words and a patient and tolerant wife who lets me do so.
http://www.kristaphillips.com Krista Phillips

A butt-load of chocolate.

And I mean that literally, cause we’re sitting on our booties way to much and that chocolate just naturally collects there…

Must. Exercise. More.
http://masterpieceintheworks.wordpress.com Kelly Long

I didn’t read all the comments, so some one might have already said this, but a constant is a bushel basket full of crazy. Yes, the absurb, the quirky, the unexpected, the unimaginable, and unforeseen make up life’s glitter ball.
Sheila Brodhead

Behind every great writer are books that inspired him or her…
http://essaystar.org/ essay writer

GHr!@
http://rebeccavance.com Rebecca Vance

The desire to ask the important question: What if? Draw on a factual situation and expound on it with your character who will answer that question.
http://www.heatherdaygilbert.blogspot.com Heather Day Gilbert

A pile of prayers and tears that I’m hoping God’s saving up for show and tell someday.
- http://www.talesfromtheredhead.blogspot.com Jennifer Major @Jjumping
  
  Awwww, that is such a lovely image Heather. Truly lovely. Now I’m gonna cry.
  
  Some of those prayers and tears will have smiles and cheers attached to them.
- http://hutt-writevoice.blogspot.com Linda
  
  Love this comment!
http://jefritz.blogspot.com/ J E Fritz

I tiny voice, whispering “write”.
http://whatevertheyaint.wordpress.com Shonte’ Sanders

An over-active brain that seems to come alive at midnight.
- Alicia Cooper
  
  I have that!!!! People like to say that they dream in color, I dream in words!
Betsy Thompson

…a pancake butt.
Brendan Podger

… an editor who won’t let you get away with c**p.
Nancy Petralia

an overflowing wastebasket.
Pingback: Oh, God, I Am Lost and So Alone | A Curious Band of Others
Terri Weldon

an awesome God!
http://nancysthompson.blogspot.com/ Nancy S. Thompson

A prolonged period of unemployment followed by boredom with the regular old hobbies.
Ann Bracken

A blog they follow along with other great writers.

A real friend who isn’t afraid to be honest about their writing.

A family that provides a bounty of characters.

Hmm, I have piano wire right next to me, but I’m pretty sure my husband will object to me hurting his piano!
http://www.theinfjcafe.blogspot.com M. Wilde

…someone whose inner world is so rich with scenes, characters and plot lines that reality has no choice but to take a back seat to creative impulse.
Mary Sheridan

A barista holding a fresh, extra-large mochachino with whip, cinnamon and a shot of espresso along with a bag of chocolate covered coffee beans, a chocolate chip muffin, and three tiramisu cake pops.
Tycie

… a secret they’re trying to share.
http://defeatanxietyattacks.com Melissa

the realities of life to the fullest!