Reminiscences of a writer

Sahitya Akademi had organized a talk by Paul Theroux. And I had been invited as a writer (!). There were about 10-12 of us in that seminar room. As the writer was late (stuck in JNU) we got to eat first and listen later.
Paul Theroux talked about how he became a writer- what he thinks are important attributes to being a writer.
First and foremost, he claimed was getting away from home. As far away as possible. It was possible because he was a westerner. Getting away from home is an alien concept to most of us Indians living as we do in an extended family including not only parents, grandparents, and siblings but also the neighborhood aunties and uncles all of whom want to know exactly what you are doing and why are you doing and how much are you getting doing it. Paul Theroux went to Africa as a Peace Corp Volunteer and later taught at school/college there.
Then he attributed the mentor. And here the discourse became long as he talked about his relationship with V.S. Naipaul. The friendship broke after 30 years in a very acrimonious manner, and Paul Theroux ended up writing a book on his friendship with V.S. Naipaul. He justified the book as an academic exercise into the beginning, the middle, and the end of a friendship. He also talked about how rarely the family reads the author's works. In his case his father never read his book even though the house was overflowing with them.
Finally, he acknowledged luck. One needs it in the right dose to become famous/successful/whatever.
The floor was then opened to discussion for 10 minutes as he had to leave at 7pm. There was someone there, a Bengali writer, Nabaneeta Dev Sen(?). At least that is what I heard. I am not sure. She challenged the concept of going away from home being important to the growth as an author. Many Indian women writers, she said, can write only after having taking care of the family. But of course she missed the point. Going away from home was important for Paul Theroux. It is not mandatory for every author.
In the introduction, the speaker from Sahitya Akademi quoted Paul Theroux as to what he thinks a writer should be: Inconspicuous not conspicuous, silent not talkative.
I do not know what kind of a writer I am but I followed the dictum. I was inconspicuous and silent and throughly enjoyed the talk.