I take it all back. A few tiny sips of wine and I'm on fire. Hard to even call this a buzz, though. More like a very subtle loosening of inhibitions. Gets the writing process really going. Suddenly had the idea to turn my short into present tense first person from past tense first person, and I'm totally immersed into the ridiculous action of the scene. This is fun. Just thought I'd share. Okay back to writing now.
Probably, you failed writing drunk because you are not Hemingway? lol. Frankly speaking, I never tried writing drunk. That's because I am never drunk, actually
The only writing award I have received was for a letter to the editor of our city newspaper. I wrote the letter while drunk. In fact, I forgot all about writing the letter until a friend called and told me about the award a few weeks later. I write drunk, stoned and straight (not necessarily in that order). I edit while sober, that's for sure. If I am writing radio ad copy or newspaper stuff I make sure I am strictly sober. When I'm writing for myself I do what I feel like doing. Sometimes being an old, retired guy can be great.
Well, I'm drunk right now. My drunk friend just got me to house sit for her for $100 for tonight. I'm trying to see if they have Wifi. If they do where I'm staying, with some stupid loud dog, I'll write the shittiest shit you've ever read. With you. You and me, drunk idiot stupidheads. The above is an excerpt.
Sprinkling in supposed excerpts now and then definitely makes you cooler. Glad you caught on. LET'S DO THIS.
If there's no wifi up there, I'm typing through my phone. Or, passing out. Then, waking up hungover. Then, . I don't know. That last sentence was good.
Okay, this thread just turned into the TYPE UNINTELLIGENT STUPID SHIT INTO THE COMPUTER AND PRESS POST REPLY thread. That's creative.
Wait, what are we doing? Continuing the story above? "Collaboration" can mean a lot of things, and WE ALREADY DON'T HAVE A PLAN.
I like the idea of just letting go and just not having any self-doubts or other fears and I think alcohol and getting drunk in that quote refers to that; just "letting go" of all your fears and worries, not necessarily getting drunk, but I think what it's implying is that getting drunk gets rid of those fears. The quote isn't about getting drunk at all I think. I think it just means write everything you can down as fast as you can without thinking and without worrying whether it's good or not and then when you're done that's when you should start thinking (the editing part). It's helpful at the moment for because self-doubt, procrastination, and fear are all things I'm worrying about right now with my story and I feel I just have to let go and just write and then worry about if it's good or not because if I don't at least something down I won't have anything to work with and it's been three years and I still don't have anything to work with. I just need to write something. I don't think getting drunk is going to fix that, though. I think I just have to face the music and admit to myself that I'm not as good a writer as I thought I was and just accept it and worry about it being good later in the editing part. That's so much easier to say though then to do...
CNS depressants (eg alcohol) do not boost creativity. They impair judgement, and with that, support delusional thinking. Among those delusions is that the inebriated one is endearing and witty, but as anyone who has stayed sober among such witty wastrels know, there's no elixir of brilliance.
Though alcohol can help minimize whatever anxiety you're feeling, it's not the permanent solution, and it certainly wouldn't help with creativity. Granted it varies from person to person, but alcohol by definition isn't some "MAGICAL CREATIVITY ELIXER +10" potion. It may help to calm down the self-doubt enough for you to write, but your creativity level is still the same.
I haven't tried writing drunk in years. I don't think it's worth it. I've found coffee is a mild laxative, so I like to drink about 10 cups before I start writing, though.
Wow, I would probably die of coffee overdose if I drank 10 cups. You're made of sterner stuff than I am.
In the same way that ADHD meds don't turn people into Stephen Hawking, binge-induced delusions notwithstanding.
Personally, I have found that "stream of consciousness" writing gives me the production and creativity that most people use substances for without the utter random nonsense that usually accompanies my work when I have had that 8th shot.
I thought I replied to this thread eons ago. As other's have said, alcohol will not make you a better writer (By far, trust me) but for me, personally, it does loosen me up if I have a cooler (or three) as I stop staring at my screen going "What if people don't like this?" or "Where is the character going? Should I do it like this or that way?" and instead just write what's already in my head because those inhibitors are gone :3 So, for me, at times, it can help to just let go and write what I know I'm supposed to rather than think it over and over. If it helps you, go for it, just be responsible and understand that it isn't a solution nor should it be an everytime you write kind of thing.
Look, I've never known a harder-drinking group of folks than journalists, except maybe USAF fighter pilots. When I was in the newspaper business the after work drinking (beer call) was as necessary as showing up for work the next morning. Old school writers - like cops, fire fighters and military folks - drink. A lot. At least most of them that I know (or knew) d0 (or did). In our wonderful new politically correct world we dare not admit to 'substance use' lest we offend others by our admission of 'bad' behavior. Fuck that shit. If I write something while drunk or high and it sucks, well, I'll delete it. Even when drunk I recognize crap when I read it. Especially if I've written it.
Don't forget bartenders and waitresses. I thought Fifty Shades of Grey was brilliant because I read it when I was smoking a lot of weed. There no shame in my truth. Except the reading Fifty Shades admission. But sober. Oh my god...What a piece of.....Oh lord, did I just dark horse myself.
My old-timer journalism instructor in college liked that I was a drunk, reckless, arrogant fool. He said journalism was in my blood. He knew my grandpa, who was a journalist, and reminisced about the days when everybody was drunk and chain-smoking in the office. In my early to mid twenties, I would have loved to work in that environment. But at some point, I started to care about my relationships to people. I got tired of people being tired of me being drunk and insensitive. Maybe PC culture is a backlash to a generation ruled by men who would rather hit than hug. It seems a bit extreme sometimes for people to correct you on your language but I think some of it is just people trying to work out having been treated like shit by their numb, unavailable, workaholic, alcoholic dads.
