Honestly, I had never heard of him until tonight. (1 Viewer)

I'm not a writer; but I want to be. I don't even have to be a great writer. If I can just get something out there I'll be pretty happy with myself. I'm not going to pretend to be this deep artistic intellectual. I am here in part because of the show "Californication" which I've been binge watching via Roku/Amazon. I've powered my way through season 4. I know, big accomplishment. But I was wanting to read something other than the traditional texts of anthropology books that I'm accustomed to so I went searching for "edgy" authors like the character Hank Moody on the show. You see, I know I am not going to understand complicated literature only really smart English majors can figure out. I wanted something that was well-written, but easily digestible. So I went to the local Books A Million today and picked up a copy of Tucker Max's "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell". I mean, it must be edgy right? It has profanity in it. Well, it turns out edgy and good are not exactly synonymous. Don't get me wrong, it's okay but I'm pretty sure I could write something equal to it. So I did two Google searches which led me to Bukowski. The first had to do with writers who started after age 40. As I'll be the 4-0 in less than a month this one is of particular interest to me. Well, out of all the writers on the list Bukowski seemed the most interesting. Second, I wanted to know if the character Hank Moody was based off of a real author. My search results reveal Hank was based off of the lead character in Bukowski's "Women". I haven't read this book, but it's now on my must read. With two searches leading me to Bukowski my interest is peaked and I look forward to learning more about this man's work. So, I guess I'm on here looking for inspiration and frustration. Whichever comes first. Hell, I'll take both.
 
So you want to be a writer? o_0o Read this.
Bukowski didn't actually start at 40, don't get your hopes too high.

P.S. Have a nice stay here.
P.P.S. We're all writers, although 99,6% of us are unpublished writers.
Getting published can do strange things to a person, as you can see here. Or here.
 
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I keep expectations for myself low and encourage all those I encounter to do the same. Thanks for the welcome and I really I think I'm gonna enjoy this site.
 
Welcome Ben, don't think age or background can get in your way because it can't. I found myself starting at 17, others at 100.

Read loads, find those writers who really matter to you (for me that's usually through what my favourite writers recommended in their own writing -- eg. Buk took me to Celine's "Journey to the End of the Night" -- a must read).

Look at the best work a writer did (sometimes you can narrow this right down to just a tiny handful of books - or even just a small number of written pieces - if you're critical enough you can do this with any writer to find the 'blueprint') and study it and see what tools they used that really made them shine. And then get to work.

You may find yourself imitating others at first, but that is natural. You'll find your own voice in time.

Writing can be highly addictive (in a good way)! If you find yourself getting up in the middle of the night because an idea has just entered your mind and you cannot get back to sleep until you get yourself out of bed, find that scrap of paper, write it down, and then fall back to sleep - YOU KNOW YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY!!!
 
Writing can be highly addictive (in a good way)!
Thank you for the welcome and the good advice. The few things I have written to completion were for a Creative Writing class i took a couple of years back. After rereading some of my short stories I noticed I unintentionally copied David Sedaris. So, I know what you mean about imitating others. It's easy to do. Some have recommended carrying a writer's notebook to jot stuff down as it comes to you throughout the day. I may take up that practice.

Hi Ben. Hope you get around to reading Hank (Bukowski). You may even like it.
I did read some poetry last night starting with "So You Want to be a Writer" and I really liked what I read. He as a gruff blunt style in that work. It's good stuff.
 
it's now on my must read.
I for one am more interested in your 'just read' than in your 'must read.'. Bukowski would have kicked your ass from here to the local Books A Million. If he was a violent guy. Which he mostly wasn't in the least. Edgy for the sake of edgy is like cool for the sake of cool. Or writing for tge sake of writing for that matter. Nobody's buying it. If you start writing just write to unpack your shit and get it off your chest, then burn it because nobody wants to read someone elses amateur 'pour my heart in three songs on open mic' crap. After you've written and burned your work for ten years, if you're still at it you might start to really say something. And if not we'll you got a bunch of shit sorted out inside yourself and you put a stupid dream to bed - both worthwhile accomplishments.

Having said that what do I know, in just here because you get so alone at times that it just makes sense. Mockingbird, wish me luck and while you're at it, I'm heading out for air, I know you'll be busy tapping at your typer so let me know if you need anything. Beers, whiskey, chips, coffee .. First ones on me, pleased to meet ya
 
I also enjoy getting the pleasantries out of the way or just avoiding them altogether. You actually pegged my main plan; to not only write for the sake of writing but to also complain about my day to day problems, or "unpack my shit". At least it's writing and that's something to do when I'm not masturbating And who knows, maybe I'll get better at it. Writing, that is. Not masturbating. I've got that down to an art.

But beers, whiskey, chips and coffee... well, those are a few of my favorite things! Nice to meet you.
 
I think that poem about writing from Bukowski is a bit romanticised, you know, all that talk of if it doesn't come rushing out of you, etc. Doesn't inspiration meet you at the type writer? Maybe gives you a sideways glance when you pick up the pen? I don't think the muse says, "hey why don't you write?!". You have to sit at the typewriter, maybe you have to stare at it for an hour, while the muse watches you from a distance. The muse might sit across the road from you waiting and when it sees you turn up every day, it might approach and begin to offer something, nudges in certain directions. And then after a while it does come rushing out of you as you and the muse begin working together.
Writing is work, it's hard, do people think geniuses don't bust their arse? I bet Michael Angelo produced shit for a long time. When he first picked up the hammer and chisel, he wasn't the great Michael Angelo, he was just some guy holding a hammer and chisel.
You have to enjoy it, you have to be dedicated and regimented, and stick at it, you have to put everything into it or you'll get nothing out of it. Maybe after many many hours and days and months and years of practice, you might get good at it. It might take 10 years of hard work before a world beating idea strikes you. You may never be good, or published. Not all good writers are published and not all published writers are good.
Writers write, I don't write, so I'm not a writer. I'd kind of like to be a writer but currently I don't want to put in the time and effort. People have told me I'm good, and have skills, haha, based on a few forum posts and a couple of shitty short stories for college I wrote about 15 years ago. I took their compliments with a pinch of salt. But maybe there's something there, a little spark. Perhaps I could get good, but I'll never know unless I sit at the typewriter, or computer, or pick up a pen... every day.
I could be talking shit of course, I reserve that right.
 
a bit romanticised, you know, all that talk of if it doesn't come rushing out of you, etc. ... I could be talking shit of course

i dont think the new guy is trying to be bukowski .. but for real artists/writers its pretty safe to say that yes it does come rushing out. when mjp makea a podcast, he just taps a vein and lets that motherfucker bleed! cuz he's lived it, and in a way where he goes to the live taping of some dumb tv show or sells i mean gives away a couch on craigslist, he's still living it, cuz the juice ia there that he gathered and squeezed and bottled and put in the root cellar however log ago.

im exagerrating of course, for sure bukowski stared at the walls at times, mjp probably sometimes is like 'this aint going anywhere' .. theres always craft and patience, but there also has to be real juice, simmered down with experience

to me the key thing is you have to live, or have lived, close to the bone. but again, not everybody is going for that. some people take those classes where they sit around and sip wine and pain a sunset, then give it to their mom to hang by the breezeway. some people write for a living, many people, and not the kind of thing bukowski did but writing just superficial copy, whether as journalists, novelists, poets or whatever. but there its not about the muse as much as about the craft.

the muse to me is a reward, she comes to you after youve crossed the hot coals saying, i see you, you crossed the coals, go ahead and tell people about it.
 
If you start writing just write to unpack your shit and get it off your chest, then burn it because nobody wants to read someone elses amateur 'pour my heart in three songs on open mic' crap. After you've written and burned your work for ten years, if you're still at it you might start to really say something. And if not we'll you got a bunch of shit sorted out inside yourself and you put a stupid dream to bed - both worthwhile accomplishments.

hahahahaha
 

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