Writing is often thought of as an almost purely mental activity that has very little to do with the state of the physical body. In other words, you should not need to be in good health to write well.
Several well known examples seem to bear this idea out. One is that of eminent physicist Stephen Hawking, who was in the advanced stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis when he began one of his best known books, A Brief History of Time. By then, he had extreme difficulties moving and speaking, and yet was able to “dictate” his books by moving his eyelid to direct his gaze towards particular letters.
Another example is Jean Dominique Bauby, a magazine editor who suffered a terrible stroke in the mid 90’s, and as a result became physically paralyzed, even though his mental and intellectual functions remained largely unaffected. He also dictated a book letter by letter, which was the memoir of his condition entitled The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Two years later, Bauby died.
Still, it must be noted that these dramatic stories are exceptions to the rule. Both men had a great deal of talent, determination, and support behind them. Very few writers—even very good ones—would be able to accomplish the same if ever they find themselves in the same health situation. Furthermore, the sheer brevity of Bauby’s book is testament to the arduousness of his writing situation. Bad health, illness, and aging can all take their toll on the quantity and quality of a writer’s output.
That last factor, in particular, can have an insidious but ultimately heavy impact on how a writer writes. Aging is a complex process, but a lot of its results have to do with the decline in your body’s production of human growth hormone. This results in a decline in your immune system, muscle mass and maintenance, and general cellular reproduction. On the more mental side of things, you can also lose your ability to concentrate on things for long periods of time. Emotional stability may also be affected, leading to greater moodiness. Writers are often stereotyped as moody, unreliable individuals. However, a great deal of mental and emotional stamina is needed for long works such as novels. In fact, many writers, such as Flaubert, asserted that a stable emotional life was necessary in order to create excellent work. Unfortunately, it often happens that the effects of aging make this effort much harder, just at the time of life when a writer has more to say about life and art.
Fortunately, human growth hormone production can be stimulated by supplements, which may help slow down these processes, improving the consistent good quality of a person’s writing, as well as their general good health. Of course, anyone taking such supplements must be done cautiously. If a person takes too much, he or she might develop pituitary disorders and tumors.
Some writers are able to produce one great work in a short and/or sickly life. However, the history of literature is littered with writers who might have been able to give even more to the world had they been in better physical health, such as the Brontë sisters and Novalis. Looking after one’s health and taking proper supplements are, just like inspiration, also important in the production of excellent writing.
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