Recently it struck me that on a number of front writers have a real sharp edged duality about them, of composed of what seems like mutually exclusive natures. In no particular order here are some of those ideas.

Writers seem to be both optimists and utterly practical. Consider that when you send off a manuscript you are competing with hundreds and more likely thousands of manuscript for that publication slot or agent’s representation. The keep sending them out as the mountain of rejections grows is an act of utter optimism. One day it will change, one day that lightning will strike. At the same time when you review and edit your material, there is no place for wishful thinking, no room here for sentimentality. that which does not work must be fixed and excised from the text. It is the basis of the adage ‘kill your darlings.’

Writers seem to exist in a strange state of self-doubt and criticism while also possessing a belief that what they have to say is not only worthy but worthy of the attention of thousands. They must be critical enough to see the flaws, as above, but certain in their views, their plots, their characters, that they know the world needs to see it.

We can also dive into philosophical duality. Character we create exist in some sort of Heisenberg uncertainty region between free-will and determinism. Consider a character like say Will Riker from Star trek The Next Generation. If a show opened with him storming onto the bridge, mouthing off to Picard, slapping Troi around and making the moves on Wesley, the viewers would demand a reason for these actions.  He would never do such things. They are beyond any scope of his freely chosen set of actions, something must be making him act that way. Characters have defined natures that if they venture beyond they break beliefe and become ‘out of character.’ And yet we have to believe that characters make choices and that often in a character’s arc he, or she, chooses something at the end of the story that would have been out of character at the start.

It is a strange thing I pursue.