Empathy

[The Backward OX]

What are your views about empathy and writing?

Would you say that empathy is a necessary characteristic in a fiction writer?

(Can you cite any well-known author who openly claims to have absolutely NO people skills?)


I have a reason for my questions.

I have no natural people skills, I don’t have feelings about people . . . and I am toying with the idea of writing fiction.

Is it a lost cause?

Or can I successfully write about people without having a clue regarding the ways in which people relate to each other?


Before you jump in and say everyone has feelings about people, consider this: I have Asperger’s Syndrome. If you don’t know what that means in terms of this discussion, maybe you should move on to the next thread.

[ns123]

I'm sure there are plenty of fiction out there that has nothing to do with relationships. It depends on what it is you write.

You can try it out, see if you have a writing talent and see where it takes you. If not, you can always try something else.

[Mynder]

Well, you can always put a human in an alien society that lives by different rules than we do. If you model human behavior from observation only, you may get some things right, but may be oddly "off" in others. Aliens might just (plausibly) be that bit different.

[Indiana]

Plenty of well-known writers have shown autistic traits (not aware of any openly diagnosed as Aspergers, but it is a relatively new diagnosis), including Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson and Isaac Asminov.

Character is certainly an important part of good writing, but you do not necessarily need a deep understanding of how people feel to write characters well. You will need acute observation of what they do, because this is how we all read other people. Many authors write books where the main characters struggle with their own motives for action. Also, if you are good enough to be published, if there are aspects of your book that are weaker than others, you will have an editor to help guide you through them.

A capacity for clear observation and evocative language (strong metaphors and descriptions) and a command of plot and theme are all very important too.

The other thing is that you don't need to be a great writer in order to be a successful writer. Dan Brown is a multi-millionaire but his books are not exactly literary masterpieces.