# Writing while intoxicated



## Nameback (May 28, 2013)

So, I'm a little tipsy right now. Personally, I love writing when I'm anywhere between barely intoxicated and significantly intoxicated. I find that my writing tends to "flow" in the same manner as when I'm overtaken by a particularly excellent idea for a scene. Getting a bit drunk is a really consistent, reliable way to produce a good chunk of words in one sitting, for me.

Now, the product tends to be a bit sloppier than if I had been sober (as on might expect), but as it is for most people, I find the hardest part being the first-draft. I'm happy to edit my drunk-drafts later, when I'm sober and have trouble banging out words with the same efficiency. 

So, for those of you of legal age, do you every drink-and-write? What do you think of the output you generate in such a state?


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## Ophiucha (May 28, 2013)

I'm one of those giggly drunks who can't focus on things without drifting off and spilling half of the drink down my blouse, which would translate to the keyboard if I tried writing. So no, though I have come up with ideas while drunk. If I can read my drunken handwriting the morning after, the ideas are often okay. A little incoherent, but I think having the looser mindset gives me a little more room to think. I don't drink enough to give you a good chart of success for that one, though.


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## Jabrosky (May 28, 2013)

With the possible exception of margaritas, alcohol tastes terrible to me. Give me caffeine any day!


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## T.Allen.Smith (May 28, 2013)

Nameback said:


> So, for those of you of legal age, do you every drink-and-write? What do you think of the output you generate in such a state?


All the time. 

Alcohol lowers inhibitions, which many of us learn to our dismay, in youth. That same lowering of inhibitions that can free the tongue can also serve to liberate your fingers on the keyboard...at least for me. Absolute honesty sometimes needs a little nudge.

"Write drunk. Edit sober" - Ernest Hemingway


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## Nameback (May 28, 2013)

T.Allen.Smith said:


> "Write drunk. Edit sober" - Ernest Hemingway



Wise words.


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## saellys (May 28, 2013)

I'm a sleepy drunk. Sometimes after a couple beers I'll be like "Oh man I really want to write that one scene," but then I see a kitten and two hours later when I remember I was going to write, I can't keep my eyelids open.


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## Devor (May 29, 2013)

I'm sure that it helps some people some time.  I've never had luck with alcohol and writing, but half a beer helps me give a presentation or an interview, while more than that gets in the way.

I forget the name, but there's a thing about "state memory" where, if you drink too much while you're still getting into the habit of writing, you'll start to need to be in that same tipsy state to write.  I suspect that's part of why so many authors are known for it.  But I would skip the alcohol if you're still getting into the habit of writing daily.


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## Nameback (May 29, 2013)

I got

too drunk

whoooooooops


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## The Dark One (May 29, 2013)

It's possible to write sober now?

Seriously, the vast majority of my pre-published work was written under the influence of sundry substances but my first commercially published book (and all my subsequent work) was written sober.

I'm not saying that means anything though. I found my voice writing those previous works and no doubt the liberating substances helped. The first published book was simply the first time I deliberately set out to write something 'commercial' - it probably wouldn't have mattered whether I was pissed or not. It was just that I had developed the voice, and I finally had the right story.

Strong voice + right story = mainstream publication.


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## Jeff Xilon (May 29, 2013)

I wrote a scene once when I was well and truly drunk not long ago. Came home from a rare night out and remembered I hadn't written any words that day and I was on a streak. So I sat down and wrote until I found myself falling asleep at the keyboard. Read the scene the next day and it was all about my protagonist getting drunk and trying to avoid having a terrible hangover the next day. Eventually the writing trailed off into complete and utter nonsensical gibberish of random letters strung together at the end. I figured for me at least if I wanted anything useable out of the writing I'd best not try doing it actually drunk.


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## Svrtnsse (May 29, 2013)

I tend to have a whisky or a cognac, sometimes baileys, when writing in the evenings. It's rarely enough to affect me enough that I notice, but it's still nice. If I'm writing in the day or in the morning I tend to have tea or coffee instead. I think, that for me it's more about having a sip of something while letting the mind wander than the actual alcohol as such - though I'm sure that plays part of it as well.


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## CupofJoe (May 29, 2013)

Jabrosky said:


> With the possible exception of margaritas, alcohol tastes terrible to me. Give me caffeine any day!


How could I do anything but agree... except for the bit about margaritas [sorry Jabrosky but they taste awful too].


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## Abbas-Al-Morim (May 29, 2013)

Svrtnsse said:


> I tend to have a whisky or a cognac, sometimes baileys, when writing in the evenings.



Whiskey or cognac? So stereotypical for writers! Now all you need is a typewriter and a pipe and the 60ies image is complete. 

I'd say there's a difference between drunk and slightly intoxicated (elated?). If I'm drunk the last thing I want to do is write. Being slightly intoxicated (or just having a good stiff drink to keep you warm at night) might help you relax and actually get you writing.


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## Ophiucha (May 29, 2013)

Jabrosky said:


> With the possible exception of margaritas, alcohol tastes terrible to me. Give me caffeine any day!



I tend to agree, except I hate caffeine as well. I don't mind tea if it's got a spoonful of sugar and a bit of strawberry in the mix, but the only way I will consume coffee is if it's soaked into some lady fingers and whipped in with some mascarpone. But yeah, alcohol is a rare indulgence. I'll have a drink at parties to be polite, or if an Italian restaurant gives me a shot of Sambuca, but the last time I had more than a single drink was at my wedding, and that was mostly because we splurged and got my favourite rum and a bottle of Absinthe, and I don't let Absinthe go to waste. (Incidentally, absinthe has a long and proud literary history - I propose we each buy a bottle and have a nice write-in like they did a hundred and change years ago...)


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## Svrtnsse (May 29, 2013)

I guess I shouldn't have said that about not having beer. Currently in the beer garden at the Franciscan Well in Cork enjoying a beer brewed less than thirty feet from where I'm sitting. And yes, I'm writing.

Edit: I don't mind being stereotypical when it comes to things I like.


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## saellys (May 29, 2013)

Devor said:


> I forget the name, but there's a thing about "state memory" where, if you drink too much while you're still getting into the habit of writing, you'll start to need to be in that same tipsy state to write.  I suspect that's part of why so many authors are known for it.  But I would skip the alcohol if you're still getting into the habit of writing daily.



Oh, interesting! A musician friend of mine had a theory about that, though I don't think he knew it was a real thing. People kept telling him that smoking pot would free up his songwriting, but he said he didn't want to rely on it. Which of course made him the only non-stoner musician I know.


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## T.Allen.Smith (May 29, 2013)

Svrtnsse said:


> I tend to have a whisky or a cognac, sometimes baileys, when writing in the evenings. It's rarely enough to affect me enough that I notice, but it's still nice. If I'm writing in the day or in the morning I tend to have tea or coffee instead. I think, that for me it's more about having a sip of something while letting the mind wander than the actual alcohol as such - though I'm sure that plays part of it as well.



Often I find that it's more about the ritual than the effect. Yes, inebriation can help loosen the inhibitions while writing, as mentioned before. However, turning your mind away from the cares of the day to focus on nothing but the writing, can be ushered along with ritual. 

That sense of ritual will be different for many artists but it does help. It separates the writing time from the other hours...makes it special & creates a certain reverence for that time slot if done habitually. It can reinforce the habit itself which, in my opinion, is absolutely necessary to have any real success in art. That ritual certainly doesn't have to be alcohol. I just enjoy the ritual in combination with intoxication. It can be anything that, performed in the same manner & consistently over time, triggers the mind.


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## Chessie (May 29, 2013)

I'm way too distracted while drinking to sit down and type a story. However, I have crafted scenes while drinking and its true that things flow much smoother. Too drunk to second guess yourself? Have fun figuring out that mess in the morning with a hangover.


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## Nameback (May 29, 2013)

So I experienced the danger of writing while inebriated last night--what started out as a pleasant buzz to loosen the fingers ended up with me over the toilet nine beers later. 

Still, I managed to pound out 1400 words before I got too drunk and just started sleepily listening to music. Turned out pretty good, too!


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## kayd_mon (May 29, 2013)

Well, a nice ale or porter is a nice way to wrap up the day, but I can't say that I've ever gotten myself a drink to try to help my writing out.


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## psychotick (May 29, 2013)

Hi,

It may be a little off track, but when I was at varsity I had a friend who was a third year medical student. He made a bet with another classmate to see if they could get through an entire year without ever being sober. I don't know how they did it, sheer brain power or something, but they both not only passed all their classes but were competing with each other for the number of distinctions they could get! I think one got five and the other six. Having said that I would never want either of these guys as my doctor. My friend got the nickname "hanger" that year, simply because wherever you went, whatever party he was already there, so drunk that he was falling down and needed to be hung up.

For me I seldom drink anything. But sometimes I wonder when I reread what I wrote if I was completely off my face at the time!

Cheers, Greg.


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## Jamber (May 30, 2013)

T.Allen.Smith said:


> Often I find that it's more about the ritual than the effect. Yes, inebriation can help loosen the inhibitions while writing, as mentioned before. However, turning your mind away from the cares of the day to focus on nothing but the writing, can be ushered along with ritual.
> 
> That sense of ritual will be different for many artists but it does help. It separates the writing time from the other hours...makes it special & creates a certain reverence for that time slot if done habitually. It can reinforce the habit itself which, in my opinion, is absolutely necessary to have any real success in art. That ritual certainly doesn't have to be alcohol. I just enjoy the ritual in combination with intoxication. It can be anything that, performed in the same manner & consistently over time, triggers the mind.



I've never tried to write while drinking, but the way this was put makes me want to try. 
If using a laptop, be sure to sit it above the level of the desk. I destroyed both a month old laptop and my thesis with a glass of water, once.


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## Devora (May 30, 2013)

I can't I end up staring at the screen and then just go to bed. (I drink at late night.)


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## brokethepoint (May 30, 2013)

I like a good dark beer, but not for writing.  I would prefer the pipe or cigar for writing, but the wife disagrees so . . .


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## JSDR (May 30, 2013)

I have a miserably low alcohol tolerance. I'm literally wasted, as in a waste of human molecules, on half a glass of wine. 
Therefor, I don't write while intoxicated. I might Beta while sloooooowly sipping a beer.

I *do* drunk-tweet.


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## Justin Cary (May 30, 2013)

I am sure a more ambitions person than myself could create a bell curve of alcohol to output chart and impose that against a alcohol to writing quality chart to find the inebriation sweet-spot


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## topazfire (May 30, 2013)

I have abided with the Hemmingway quote more than once. It depends on the time of day, but I usually write with a cup of tea or a (big) glass of wine. I find that ideas do come differently and flow more easily sometimes, especially with big scenes and chapters that I view as daunting when sobre. Tipsy me gets (over) confident and dives right in regardless of the direction stone sober me had planned to go. I have usually had positive results with longer passages. The main thing that I have noticed is that ideas that I had clearly thought through and dismissed while sober, often rear their head when slightly intoxicated and I have to beat them down again in the morning...


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## A. E. Lowan (May 31, 2013)

I am highly amused by this entire thread.  Though I am Irish, I have never tried writing while intoxicated.  Why?  I already have so few inhibitions, I figure why bother.  However, this thread inspires me toward experimentation... hmm... maybe the wife will let me try it.   On the other hand, I notice that the ideas I have for stories when I dream are often profoundly stupid when viewed under the light of morning.

Not all of us can be Hunter S. Thompson.  Then again, I don't think he was, either.

On a side note, I used to work camera on a local morning news program.  Our director was a notorious drinker who hated showing up hung over, so he came up with an elegant solution.  He simply showed up still drunk.  Morning news was always very relaxed.


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## Firekeeper (Jun 2, 2013)

Absolutely, the words simply flow better, and for me that is the key. I'm plagued with doubt, and writing sober makes me all to aware of that. When I'm buzzed, not all out drunk (can't stand that feeling) but just had enough to be good and mellow I find I often find new ideas and new turns of phrase. 

Obviously edit sober, of course. Hemmingway was a wise man


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## A. E. Lowan (Jun 2, 2013)

Firekeeper said:


> Obviously edit sober, of course. Hemmingway was a wise man



Well, until that last bit, anyway.


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## Firekeeper (Jun 2, 2013)

A. E. Lowan said:


> Well, until that last bit, anyway.



Indeed, that is true


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## Chinaren (Dec 1, 2021)

I write whilst drinking a lot, it loosens the mind up, lubricates the idea centre of your brain.  Also it's fun seeing what you wrote the next day!

That said, it gets to a point when you have to stop, 'cos you can't hit the keys with any accuracy anymore.


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## Demesnedenoir (Dec 2, 2021)

No, at least not to the point of feeling it. Sipping wine, whiskey, or beer? Sure. Drinking to the point of feeling it brings me zero inclination to write. Even when young, the only thing I ever wrote drunk was the occasional paper in college, but THEN, if I didn't write my papers drunk, I might never get any of them done, heh heh.

In fact, I think I used to hold the idea that drinking helped, but after a time I realized that was rubbish.



Nameback said:


> So, I'm a little tipsy right now. Personally, I love writing when I'm anywhere between barely intoxicated and significantly intoxicated. I find that my writing tends to "flow" in the same manner as when I'm overtaken by a particularly excellent idea for a scene. Getting a bit drunk is a really consistent, reliable way to produce a good chunk of words in one sitting, for me.
> 
> Now, the product tends to be a bit sloppier than if I had been sober (as on might expect), but as it is for most people, I find the hardest part being the first-draft. I'm happy to edit my drunk-drafts later, when I'm sober and have trouble banging out words with the same efficiency.
> 
> So, for those of you of legal age, do you every drink-and-write? What do you think of the output you generate in such a state?


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## Insolent Lad (Dec 2, 2021)

I can not do anything if I have a drink. Even one little one. I learned that as a musician; even one beer would throw off my concentration and timing. My little glass of wine before dinner is the signal that work is done for the day.


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## A. E. Lowan (Dec 2, 2021)

Holy necro, Batman. I'd completely forgotten about this thread.

In the interim, I have actually written while intoxicated, and I have mixed reviews. Aside from typos, it looks fairly solid and not too far off from my usual writing. However, it's a lot like leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for yourself. I often have no idea I've written anything, and find open files and recently opened files that I have no memory of, pretty much littered everywhere. It's like, "What's this? What's this? There's conflict everywhere..."


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## psychotick (Dec 2, 2021)

Hi,

I'd also forgotten about this thread. But since it's back I'll just add one more tidbit. There's a theory called state dependent learning which basically claims that if you learn something while in a particular state (like drunk) you're more likely to remember it while in that same state. I don't know that it has any great validity as theories go. But I'd just ask - if you write something while drunk - do you have to also be drunk to understand it?

Cheers, Greg.


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## The Dark One (Dec 3, 2021)

psychotick said:


> Hi,
> 
> I'd also forgotten about this thread. But since it's back I'll just add one more tidbit. There's a theory called state dependent learning which basically claims that if you learn something while in a particular state (like drunk) you're more likely to remember it while in that same state. I don't know that it has any great validity as theories go. But I'd just ask - if you write something while drunk - do you have to also be drunk to understand it?
> 
> Cheers, Greg.


I learned about this when studying forensic psychiatry.

It's the reason you mainly remember jokes when you've had a few because the state you were in when you heard the joke and encoded it within your memory. The same neurochemistry has to be present to retrieve those memories.

Obviously this wouldn't go for all memories but it is interesting, and certainly rings true from my personal experience.

I've done heaps of writing while "affected" and I'd say it's pretty much the same as my other writing - but mainly because I'm so in control of my processes after nearly 30 years of writing seriously.


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## Karlin (Dec 22, 2021)

I'm barely sane as it is, so I'm afraid of mind-altering substances. What would be left?


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