Exploring Hollywood’s “Successful Writer” Trope

Is this REALLY what writers look like?

I was searching for a Netflix Christmas movie to watch this weekend but a different title and preview caught my attention. The Beast In Me is a new thriller series where the main character, played by Claire Danes, is a published memoir writer. I was curious.

As I watched the first episode, I found myself annoyed by the classic portrayal of a "successful" author.

1. Physical isolation - She lives alone in a giant house in a small town

2. Social isolation - She admits to never going out and doesn't appear to have any fellow writing friends

3. Cluttered workspace with computer buried under loose papers yet she admits she's been creatively stuck for some time (I wanted to tell her to check out our podcast episode 49 about how creative energy flows easiest with some organization)

4. Instant acclaim with her first publication (Pulitzer Prize winner) followed by a long-term slump in creative inspiration - This expectation that good writers will hit bit on the first try is toxic and discourages the natural growth and development of a truly good writer

5. Full-time writer despite having only a single best-seller

So why am I ranting about this portrayal? Why does this perpetuated trope get under my skin? Because this version of what a successful writer looks like leaves so many of us out of the picture.

Can you see yourself, as a writer, in this depiction?

I sure can't and I don't believe many other writers can either.

This character has no full time or part time job to manage on top of her writing. She lives alone, estranged from her family, with no social support or obligations. Her "process" allows her to write whenever she wants, not dependent on creating a consistent practice or schedule. She doesn't engage with life outside of writing.

That's not reality for many of us. Many who identify as a writer still maintain full or part time jobs to stabilize income and provide health care benefits. Even if you hit it big with a debut work, there's generally a more gentle transition to full-time writing. And in the case of this storyline of the show, this author has been in a creative slump for 4 years, living off earnings from her first book while also burning through her advance for the next.

This is not reality. As writers, we need community. And certainly as memoir writers, we need to continue exploring our world, gleaning insight, inspiration, and perspective from our daily experiences that we inject into our writing.

In my own writing experience, several things have been KEY to making major headway on my memoir.

1. feedback and support from fellow writers

2. immersion into writing spaces like annual conferences or courses

3. accountability through weekly co-writing session (let me know if you want in on this - I sent an email every Sunday with the weekly meeting times)

4. consistency in my writing process (more from Steph on this topic coming soon!)

5. stepping back into the world outside the page for inspiration

And another thing...I spent almost a year working on my memoir without other work obligations, and I can attest to the fact that I've gotten more writing done now that I have to be intentionally about my time while balancing a job than I did when I had all day to work on my writing.

Which depiction of a writer do you see yourself in?

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