May 4, 2020
Relax and Write a Book
IT WOULD BE SILLY to suggest that one must drink alcohol to be a good writer, and it would be equally absurd to insinuate that alcohol is some type of mystical gateway to the Great American Novel.
Enjoying a beer or two while working on a story sometimes helps me to move the process along, however. While the stereotypical modern-day fiction writer might spend long days and nights brooding at a coffee shop, hunting and pecking away at his latest masterpiece, for me, coffee is merely a synonym for DOOM. One cup of coffee is about all I can handle.
I am actually a bit of a teetotaler, but I like to indulge in an occasional drink or two. I learned early on in the writing process that I could become stuck in the middle of a story at times, with nowhere to turn, and no new ideas popping into my head. Sometimes, a beer or two will fix that, and will help me move right along to the end of the story, with a final result with which I am usually satisfied.
Perhaps alcohol makes writers feel less inhibited? Or perhaps more creative and expressive? I am no neurologist, and I do not have the answers to those particular questions.
Nevertheless, when you are trying to create something brand new out of thin air, sometimes you just need a little boost to help you along the way. So, if the mood strikes, sit back, enjoy an ice cold pint of Guinness, and let those fingers fly!
J.S. Lender’s new book They Are Here Now (Short Tales) is available in paperback on Amazon. A new short story anthology will be released in late 2020.
