so you want to be a writer?

Well I mean all great writers burst with it, they only sit by the screen, or typewriter when their editing their work and making it readable. Some of my writer friends are constantly talking about how they sit by the screen before their first word, for hours on end and when they're finally done with it I can see why they struggled for the first word, because it's always indulgent, and about their self-love, but in saying that a lot of Bukowski's fiction is this way, but we aren't talking about that, and I think he'd admit to it. And this is really a poem all about that struggle, I'm not saying writing is easy, and neither would Bukowski, he stopped writing for 15 years. But this poem is about that struggle, and he's saying unless your free of all these insecurities and much needed encouragement to help aid those insecurities, then your only at this step, so keep going until you've got confidence to be who you need be.

He expressed that very poorly then, if you ask me.

Somehow, "Don't do it if it doesn't burst out of you" doesn't scream "Build your confidence first!" to me.

-:pirate3:

Well I know exactly what you mean, but that was Bukowski's style.

I have to say, I was slightly insulted by this. I mean, yes, don't do it for greedy reasons. But I have to sit down and dedicate a large amount of time to getting everything just the way I want it, and I know other people are that way too. It doesn't always just come gushing out of my fingers all the time. Inspiration comes, and inspiration goes. Sometimes it sticks and sometimes it doesn't. Ya dig?

I was pretty surprised to find this in writing tips. Because every one else has already made the obvious points, I don't really feel the need to give my gut reactions, but needless to say, I disagree.

And here are some other people who disagree:

Nathaniel Hawthorne: "Easy reading is d*** hard writing."

Gene Fowler: "Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead." (please note his sarcasm)

Joseph Heller: "Every writer I know has trouble writing."

And my personal favorite:

Thomas Mann: "A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people."

If I were to follow this advice, I would stop writing right now, just from the very first few words.

Yeah, I can't say as this exactly screamed "you can be a writer!" at me. It was actually kind of depressing. It basically picked up on all my insecurities as a writer and threw them in my face and was like "you think this? well, then, you can't be a writer. don't do it! don't do it!"

It might also be one of those "confront them so they will react" type things.

Of course, I haven't read any of Bukowski's works, so I can't really say too much about him.

Overall, though, even after a few readings, I still think this is not the first thing to give to an aspiring author. Well, maybe the whole "fame, fortune and hot women" thing, since that isn't likely to happen, but about inspiration gushing and rewriting and all, I can't see this encouraging anyone.

~GryphonFledgling

VicternoO wrote:Well I know exactly what you mean, but that was Bukowski's style.

Which may be why I've never heard of the man 'till now. XD

ha-ha that was funny!^ I was also gonna say, before my internet pooped out, that to get that offended, especially after the first line is to fall into The Bukowski web, and he really wants that. I'm definitely not defending the man on a high level, he was a dirty old drunk and had a running column in the LA Times called "Notes from a dirty old man," I'm just defending him b/c he's a different voice and that's the hardest thing to be, ESPECIALLY IN THE LITERATURE WORLD. Plus the man did live in Los Angeles and anyone who's been there would appreciate Bukowski's cynicism a little more!

Haha. Hahahaha. Hahahahahaha.

Poor Bukowski.

Poor, poor guy.

He must've failed horribly to warrant such a horrible, cynical, depressing "advice" poem like this.

Ugh. Y'know, I'm actually a bit disgusted at this guy.

PerforatedxHearts: He actually wrote thousands of poems, hundreds of short stories, and six novels. He eventually had 110 books in print.

Seriously?

It's still so...depressing. XD

Chin up Chicken s****.

Mod edit: No swearing outside of literary works.

He says don't do it... if you're having the writer's block, when the words don't flow naturally from you, and you're not in the mood for writing.


But seriously? This is kind of true, but kind of idiotic. I kind of agree because I don't even try to write when I'm feeling bad [emotionally...?] because my works also turn out to be bad. That's all I agree about, the line 'if it doesn't roar out of you' and 'if you spend lotsa time glaring at your computer screen, searching for butt-whupping prose and inspiration'. That is all. And anyone who writes for money and for fame is a dogdarned idiot. There is no money in writing. And you don't really grow famous because of it, too. This is reality.

But since we are writers, we ignore that reality and continue to write because we love writing. This poem doesn't really spell out "Don't Try"... it just says, 'think twice, and look before you leap, because instant gratification meets disappointment'. And yes, do not be engulfed by self-love.


It is too radical and too cynical and somewhat insulting, but opinions are subjective. Some people would take this positively. I'm pretty sure the writer also has his own good intentions as to why he chose to write this.



Oh, and err2? What you said was uncalled for. No swearing. That's the freaking rules. You can exaggerate, though; quite freely at that.



Have a flipping happy day.



~ KL

Well, there goes my dreams of writing. Guess I'll go chuck golf balls at the neighbor's garden gnome instead.

Seriously though, I really don't agree with this poem at all. If everyone took this guy's advice, there wouldn't be anything in the library. You have to work at something if you ever want to be good at it, and waiting for it to "burst out of you" is pointless and will never help you accomplish your goals.

magnusbanefan13 wrote:Well, there goes my dreams of writing. Guess I'll go chuck golf balls at the neighbor's garden gnome instead.

Seriously though, I really don't agree with this poem at all. If everyone took this guy's advice, there wouldn't be anything in the library. You have to work at something if you ever want to be good at it, and waiting for it to "burst out of you" is pointless and will never help you accomplish your goals.

This. For every bestseller written, that author will probably have five failed attempts. I have finished two stories and one short story. I have at least 10 unfinished ones. The vibe I got from this poem is "If you're not immediately good at writing, you should stop writing".

Horrible advice.