Drinking & Writing

For me, the mood to drink and the desire to write have never overlapped. The substance that motivates me into writing is caffeine/whatever they put in energy drinks. Depending on the strength, I can write stuff so... interesting that I never would have written it sober. While seldom entirely keepable, I've found I have written some damn creative stuff while "under the influence".

 

Yeah. My drug of choice is definitely coffee, as well, @Fiender_ .

 

I rather do something much more interesting and fun than writing while I'm drunk. Maybe a night out with friends and cocktails will give me something to write about later, some sort of inspiration. But that's more about living life than drinking. I think everyone who sets out to take writing seriously or make it as a writer tries drinking (or other) while writing. That's because while drunk it's easier to think we are much better than we really are. But none of that matters because we're drunk. And even the next day we love it (a little at least) because we love all things we make (a little at least). But drunk writing really isn't good no matter who it's coming from. There will be a lot of cleanup work. I can't spell for sh!t when I'm drunk. I've just never known anyone to make it work, and those who really try to combine drinking and writing usually try or will start to try drinking and other things. Those who think drinking helps them write are more likely yo end up in AA than with a book deal.

I do not feel the same way about weed. I'm a bit of a pothead. I like the stuff and actually only started smoking it after my doctor thought I should try it. I don't smoke weed to write, but I do smoke weed for other things in my life and sometimes there is crossover. However, I can spell still on weed. I actually like to smoke weed and read. Part of the reason my doctor has me on weed is for problems with my eyes. I have seen many doctors and tried many things for my eye problems. Smoking weed is the only thing that has made any real difference.

 

I've always wondered if cannabis makes people more creative, or if they just think it does. Personally, I get lots of strange thoughts and ideas, but it's too stupefying to do anything really useful with them. I wish there was some way to isolate the minor psychedelic stuff from everything else it does.

 

I never write and drink at the same time, but I do agree that it's a good tonic occasionally for removing all the baggage and remembering why you want to write in the first place. That's why it's good sometimes to call a friend and head down to your local pub and start chatting incessantly about how much you'd like to begin writing and how if only you could get all those ideas on the page you'd be successful. I find talking about my ideas and sharing them with someone who is like-minded to be very good for inspiration and stimulating your interests again... and of course beer is the perfect companion to all of this dreamy and wistful chatter. So long as you then follow through and write (preferably sober) in the following days or weeks, you can thank your good old friend Beer for helping you drop all the stuff in your life that don't matter.

 

I have tried to write while I had one or two glasses of wine. To be fair, it made me more open minded and many ideas came up. But at the end it just made me tired and I went to bed instead of continue writing. So I rather try not to drink while I am writing.

 

I get lots of ideas when I go a night without sleep. It lets your thoughts wander more freely.

 

I did find that hitting the bong released me from pragmatism and allowed me to embrace the absurd, and embracing the absurd is a good thing. It's a good moment for jotting down rough ideas or directions. It's not a good time to actually sit at the live text of one's WIP, at least not for me.

 

I have not tried drinking and writing (adds to her to do list this weekend).
I have never smoked pot so I have no idea how that will work out. I cannot wait for it to be legal here in the summer and try it. Edibles are going to be big with me, gummy bears yummy.

 

As someone with a really low tolerance, @Christina58 I strongly suggest standing or sitting next to someone who's smoking it. If what they're smoking is good enough, that'll be plenty for you. I got stoned off my ass at a concert recently when the people around me were smoking it. It's legal where I live, and my friends all think it's funny and are always happy to help me out with a contact high. Homer's right about the edibles. It might be too much for your first time.

ETA: Also, the contact high doesn't give me the munchies. Just a lovely buzz. I still don't think I could write with it, though.

ETA: I have many journal entries written on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day after champagne. And it's obvious there was champagne. Not recommended.

 

When I used to drink, I never wrote while drunk. Drinking makes me tired...and I always played videogames while drinking.

Now I don't drink (or do any sort of drug outside of taking the caffeine in my coffee or soda). I don't think it would be good for me to drink and try to write.

 

I drink every night I write. It's a potion, almost like La Rossimacha and the tongue of Miranda. I drink that potion along with others like steadfast, half ass, and recently I discovered reminiscent. It's a long story.

It gives me a mood I could fall in love with and helps me escape reality because my reality fucking sucks. It's perfect for escapism. Imagine that... You drink while getting lost in what you love to do and what makes you feel brilliant.

Unfortunately, there's only been one story that has been published that I can say was conceived under the influence and that's A Scourge from the Antiquities.

Everything else has been rejected numerously.

 

Hahaha. No way man. When I'm feeling mellow, I'm too jolly to put my MC through hell.

 

Answering very late: I can't write while even slightly (as in, two drinks, an hour ago) drunk. I sit down, I type sentences, but my brain says, "Uh...." and nothing progresses.