Comments on: Impediments to Writing: Alcohol and Drugs

By: Jenny

Jenny — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 01:03:15 +0000

As a recovering alcoholic I can safely say that the thinking, “I work better under the influence” is just one more excuse the alcoholic uses to drink some more. And if there’s some good writing in there somewhere, all the better! Though…Jesus did make wine out of water as His first miracle.

By: Jane Steen

Jane Steen — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:25:01 +0000

Doing other creative things (beading, knitting, painting, gardening, whatever) jump-starts my writing creativity. I can’t write if I drink, and any kind of mind-altering substance inevitably sends me to sleep so what’s the point? Maybe I’m just getting old, but I’d rather write sober.

By: Michelle Ule

Michelle Ule — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:24:34 +0000

Thanks for all your comments this week; I understand the subject matter was not uplifting!

I’m glad you know Maxwell Perkins’ name, Julie. He truly was the strength behind so many household writer names from the 1920′s and 30′s and no, we haven’t seen another editor like him since. Scott Berg wrote a very interesting bio of Perkins probably 20 years ago.

When you read as many queries as we do about the enormous difficulties people overcome, it’s astonishing anyone can write a decent manuscript! And yet that genius, that urge to create, impels so many to write away. It’s important to honor those who take the time and effort to bleed into their computer keyboards.

We know and we respect all writers.

And why no, I don’t think caffeine is anything but a GOOD substance where writers are concerned . . .

By: Julie Surface Johnson

Julie Surface Johnson — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:55:32 +0000

One wonders whether these larger-than-life authors would have succeeded without Maxwell Perkins. Yet who ever hears of him? I’m so glad you educated me about this unsung hero.

By: Morgan L. Busse

Morgan L. Busse — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:27:20 +0000

I find listening to music while cleaning house (hands are busy while mind is off somewhere else) helps me come up with scenes or work through “plot knots”.

By: Teri Dawn Smith

Teri Dawn Smith — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:59:13 +0000

Various things spur creativity in me. Mulling over my characters makes me love them more and eager to write. A good craft book gets me excited too. Also, reading a good book helps. I know music doesn’t work for me. I need silence to work.

By: Lynn Dean

Lynn Dean — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:25:34 +0000

For me, creativity begets creativity. If I’m feeling uninspired, I open a good book and read a few chapters, studying how the writer uses words, how scenes are crafted, etc. The trick is to read enough to get ideas flowing but NOT long enough to get hooked so that I can’t get back to work!

By: Nicole

Nicole — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:52:45 +0000

Having grown up in the era where everything was better with drugs, I can say from personal experience I get the inclination to declare that creativity somehow improves under the influence. However, it was quite the opposite for me. Those methods robbed me of all motivation.

The only dependency I have now is on the Holy Spirit. Apart from Him I can do nothing, create nothing, write nothing.

And, yeah, you go criticizing Coca Cola and it’ll get rough around here.

By: Bill Giovannetti

Bill Giovannetti — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:40:05 +0000

Wow… great post, Michelle.

There’s a little, chemically induced voice that whispers, “You’re better altered than in your real state.” It’s part of the lie, I think. “I do my best work stoned.”

The heart is deceitful, and drugs/alcohol make it more deceitful, especially self-deceitful.

Maybe great writing feels the pain and tells the truth about it.

Just don’t go criticizing caffeine, or we’re gonna have trouble…