Review: Margaret Atwood, Sue Grafton, Doris Lessing, William Faulkner, Toni Morrison, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Mark Twain, and Most Other Novelists Appear to Have Had a Literary Form of Multiple Personality

As noted in previous posts: Margaret Atwood, in her nonfiction book on writing, wrote that novelists have multiple personality. Recently, Sue Grafton published Kinsey and Me, which, according to what she said in a TV interview, raises that issue for her, personally. As discussed in other posts, the other novelists mentioned above probably have had multiple personality, too. And it is almost routine for novelists, in their published interviews, to mention the autonomy of their characters, which is the essential characteristic of alternate personalities in multiple personality.

I find this interesting for two reasons. First, I’ve always admired novelists and wanted to know how novels are written, and it appears that having a version of multiple personality is almost a prerequisite for becoming a credible novelist. Second, I think it very unlikely that it is only novelists who have a form of multiple personality which does not require treatment and may even be an asset. It is my guess that 90% of novelists, but also 30% of the general public, have it. So what I am proposing is not only a literary theory, but also a psychological theory. It is not a new psychological theory — see posts on William James and mentions of Pierre Janet — but I think that the prevalence of multiple personality among novelists gives it new credibility.

What do you think? Your questions and comments are welcome.