Middle Child Syndrome

What causes a child to grow up wanting to write? Many factors, of course, but Hemingway said “an unhappy childhood” helps. This reply has most likely spurred some people, who don’t write, into psychological discussion of the statement. But the idea is bound to hold some truth. It also may be related to the “middle child syndrome.” If you research this issue on the Net, you will find that the middle child is highly creative, among other oddities. He also might have had an unhappy childhood because of being the middle child.

I am trying to learn what famous writers were middle children—believe me, it’s a challenge—and so far, there’s only one on my list: Daphne du Maurier. I would be delighted if my readers would send me other names of writers who were/are middle children, if they are sure of the information. But one needs to know about the ”gap.” There is a gap in our family. For instance, in one set of grandchildren, there were first a girl and a boy. Then seven and a half years later three more children began to arrive. Of the three younger children, the one in the middle plans to write, and is now running a blog, with his wife, about their current living in Libya, as he works for a large American engineering company, on the biggest such project going on in the world at the present time. I don’t think he suffered from any particular lack of attention from the family as he grew up, but he was reserved and quiet, at least when I saw him at family gatherings. He’s not like that now though, is quite out-going, and loaded with self-confidence. After all, he holds his first college degree, has a lovely wife, and a particularly precious big baby boy.

It is possibly true that the middle child blooms only after leaving home, no matter how good a home he left behind. Yes, I was a middle child.

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