The best writing background there is may come as bad news for most people.
I mean, what if a big advantage to the writing life is something that is completely uncontrollable?
I have my doubts, of course, because I tend to think each person gets to decide.
But what if the best writing background is simply being an only child?
Or, maybe we should say:
“People with a lonely childhood are more likely to have certain characteristics that successful writers have.”
Regardless, it’s good news for me though, if you want to know the truth.
I still crave the quiet referred to here.
I grew up the only child of older parents. If I were to give you a list of all the facts of my early life that made me a writer, this one would be near the top. Only child. Older parents. It now almost seems like a job requirement—though back then, I wished it to be otherwise. A lonely, isolated childhood isn’t a prerequisite for a writing life, of course, but it certainly helped.
-Dani Shapiro, Still Writing