Nowadays, the definition of "graphomaniac" is probably even more common than "writer". Thanks to the vastness of the Internet, everyone can express their fantasies in blogs or websites. And sometimes the reader gets lost in the dark forest of graphomania, and the author himself does not even know what he really is.
Graphomaniac refers to people who have an irrepressible passion for writing, but do not have a writing talent.
There are several ways to recognize a graphomaniac:
- The graphomaniac does not perceive criticism as useful. He believes that this is how they are trying to insult or humiliate him. Often, he even goes personal in order to shut up the opponent and leave the last word for himself. If, to your sober remarks, the author's answer is the following: “My story! I do what I want!”, So this is a graphomaniac. The writer, on the other hand, will accept criticism and draw conclusions for himself.
- The graphomaniac is ready to buzz all ears about his creation. He will gladly quote excerpts from it, even in places where it is not worth doing. It is often difficult for a real writer to voice a line from his work, despite the fact that he is tearfully asked about it.
- The graphomaniac has no doubt that he is able to create a masterpiece, just grab a pen or sit in front of a computer. But the writer constantly doubts. Every now and then he double-checks his work and corrects it. Leo Tolstoy, for example, rewrote "War and Peace" if he did not like some passage.
- The graphomaniac does not have his own style that would distinguish him from the geniuses of the pen. When reading his works, it seems that somewhere this has already been encountered. A real writer is easily recognizable by his writing style.
- For the graphomaniac, quantity is important, not quality. The more books he has written, the more valuable his work, he believes. A writer can sit over one story for more than a year or two, just to bring it to a better state.
- In the creations of the graphomaniac, there is absolutely no originality. His texts are crammed with famous quotes and teeming with clichés. In the work of a real writer there is always an idea, it makes you think about something or understand something.
- The graphomaniac is attracted only by fame and money. He needs attention and honor. The main thing for a writer is to be understood.
