Life in progress

JusJoJan 21 – Write Drunk, Edit Sober

19 Comments

“Write drunk, edit sober.” Some say it was Hemingway who said it, some say Peter deVries. Whoever. More than this quote has made me wish I could handle being an alcoholic for the sake of my writing. When you consider how much genius has come out of known drug abusers (see any number of rock stars), you have to wonder if there’s anything to it. I mean, seriously, so much comes to mind when you’ve had a few that appears, at least in that moment, to be the most brilliant idea that anyone ever has ever come up with, that how can you possibly be wrong? What can you possibly say that’s not completely off-the-wall enlightening to the whole of mankind? Poetry flows, prose splats onto the page like the very sunshine that beams through your window – or would if it wasn’t actually the middle of the night while everyone else is sleeping, like you should be…

But then.

You wake up in the morning and read that is which is splatted unceremoniously upon the page and you think… I need to be sober to edit this crap.

Ah, it’s an artist’s life.

JJJ 2015Just Jot It January – it’s the bomb! Join in today! https://lindaghill.com/2015/01/01/just-jot-it-january-pingback-post-and-rules/

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Author: Linda G. Hill

There's a writer in here, clawing her way out.

19 thoughts on “JusJoJan 21 – Write Drunk, Edit Sober

  1. Tournesol's avatar

    Great post, Linda! I had me smile with that quote…it should be at each button on social networks like Facebeook and Twitter for example…or a pop up “Are you drunk or high on something?” then pop up number 2 “are you sure you want to submit NOW?”

    Liked by 1 person

  2. willowdot21's avatar

    Definitely not going down that road Linda. 🙂

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  3. theblogwoman's avatar

    I have always loved this saying, although not all rules apply in all situations , perhaps.

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  4. Paul's avatar

    Yes, i have had similar experiences Linda. I will add this – don’t ever try to do any kind of quantitative work while drunk. Qualitative is fine and in fact more than fine. Provided it is scoped out with a sober eye before it goes any where.

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  5. namenews's avatar

    I feared that I was an alcoholic when I drank and wrote. Now, I am dry, and so is my motivation to TRULY write what is in my heart….

    Have you ever felt this way when writing, or just wanting to express to the keyboard what your heart is hurting from?

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  6. Jamal Miller's avatar

    So true! Im such an editing queen. Drunk or sober. Great post!

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  7. ksaffects's avatar

    Haha, nice and so true. 😊

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  8. Michael's avatar

    I think being sober does help both processes, though Coleridge was thought to be a high as a kite when he wrote Kubla Khan, then again any reading reading of it seems to verify that theory. So good luck with your editing.

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