Charles Bukowski on Writing

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Paul Whybrow

Full Member
Jun 20, 2015
Cornwall, UK
The career of Charles Bukowski should give encouragement to any writer who starts to apply themselves late in life to writing. He was 49 when he finally quit working at menial jobs, including as a filing clerk at a post office. As he said :

“I have one of two choices – stay in the post office and go crazy … or stay out here and play at writer and starve. I have decided to starve.”

6832_b_2538.jpg


He’s sometimes been referred to as the ‘laureate of American lowlife’, and he was certainly familiar with the seedy side of poverty. An inveterate drunk, he turned his experiences into a script which was filmed as ‘Barfly’, starring Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway.

Always happy to bite the hand that fed him, he penned an amusing Roman a clef called ‘Hollywood’, in which he wrote of the making of the film adaptation of ‘Barfly’, using pseudonyms to disguise the names of the actors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_(Bukowski_novel)

Bukowski’s weariness with the world meant that he said a lot of truthful things, in what sounds like a cynical way. Even his gravestone is cryptic, with the inscription "DON'T TRY". What he intended with this advice has been explained as waiting for inspiration to write something – one shouldn't try, forcing work out of one’s system – if it doesn’t come naturally, leave it.

His poem ‘So You Want To Be A Writer’ explains his philosophy well, and should be read by anybody aspiring to be a writer.

So You Want To Be A Writer’

if it doesn’t come bursting out of you
in spite of everything,
don't
do it.
unless it comes unasked out of your
heart and your mind and your mouth
and your gut,
don't
do it.
if you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen
or hunched over your
typewriter
searching for words,
don't
do it.
if you're doing it for money or
fame,
don’t do it.
if you're doing it because you want
women in your bed,
don't
do it.
if you have to sit there and
rewrite it again and again,
don't
do it.
if it’s hard work just thinking about doing it,
don't
do it.
if you're trying to write like somebody
else,
forget about it.


if you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.

if you first have to read it to your wife
or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all,
you're
not ready.

don't
be like so many writers,
don't
be like so many thousands of
people who call themselves writers,
don't
be dull and boring and
pretentious, don't be consumed with self-
love.
the libraries of the world have
yawned themselves to
sleep
over your kind.
don’t add to that.
don’t do it.
unless it comes out of
your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would
drive you to madness or
suicide or murder,
don't
do it.
unless the sun inside you is
burning your gut,
don't
do it.

when it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by
itself and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in you.

there is no other way.

and there never was.

More of his wise words on writing at:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/helenlewismcphee/16-writing-tips-from-charles-bukowski-1qwe0
 
The career of Charles Bukowski should give encouragement to any writer who starts to apply themselves late in life to writing. He was 49 when he finally quit working at menial jobs, including as a filing clerk at a post office. As he said :

“I have one of two choices – stay in the post office and go crazy … or stay out here and play at writer and starve. I have decided to starve.”

6832_b_2538.jpg


He’s sometimes been referred to as the ‘laureate of American lowlife’, and he was certainly familiar with the seedy side of poverty. An inveterate drunk, he turned his experiences into a script which was filmed as ‘Barfly’, starring Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway.

Always happy to bite the hand that fed him, he penned an amusing Roman a clef called ‘Hollywood’, in which he wrote of the making of the film adaptation of ‘Barfly’, using pseudonyms to disguise the names of the actors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_(Bukowski_novel)

Bukowski’s weariness with the world meant that he said a lot of truthful things, in what sounds like a cynical way. Even his gravestone is cryptic, with the inscription "DON'T TRY". What he intended with this advice has been explained as waiting for inspiration to write something – one shouldn't try, forcing work out of one’s system – if it doesn’t come naturally, leave it.

His poem ‘So You Want To Be A Writer’ explains his philosophy well, and should be read by anybody aspiring to be a writer.

So You Want To Be A Writer’

if it doesn’t come bursting out of you
in spite of everything,
don't
do it.
unless it comes unasked out of your
heart and your mind and your mouth
and your gut,
don't
do it.
if you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen
or hunched over your
typewriter
searching for words,
don't
do it.
if you're doing it for money or
fame,
don’t do it.
if you're doing it because you want
women in your bed,
don't
do it.
if you have to sit there and
rewrite it again and again,
don't
do it.
if it’s hard work just thinking about doing it,
don't
do it.
if you're trying to write like somebody
else,
forget about it.


if you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.

if you first have to read it to your wife
or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all,
you're
not ready.

don't
be like so many writers,
don't
be like so many thousands of
people who call themselves writers,
don't
be dull and boring and
pretentious, don't be consumed with self-
love.
the libraries of the world have
yawned themselves to
sleep
over your kind.
don’t add to that.
don’t do it.
unless it comes out of
your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would
drive you to madness or
suicide or murder,
don't
do it.
unless the sun inside you is
burning your gut,
don't
do it.

when it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by
itself and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in you.

there is no other way.

and there never was.

More of his wise words on writing at:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/helenlewismcphee/16-writing-tips-from-charles-bukowski-1qwe0
YES, dude!

This is beautiful.

For a couple months, I just haven't. It's not time right now. I'm too busy being a writer to write. Soon, I will be done being a writer, and will start writing again. You'll know, because you'll be like, "where the eff did Jason go?" And I'll have a beard again.
 
YES, dude!

This is beautiful.

For a couple months, I just haven't. It's not time right now. I'm too busy being a writer to write. Soon, I will be done being a writer, and will start writing again. You'll know, because you'll be like, "where the eff did Jason go?" And I'll have a beard again.
Yes, it goes in fits and spurts, doesn't it.
The writing I mean, not the beard.
On that point, I tried to grow a beard on holiday. Annoyed the wife, scared the children, looked like a tw*t. Won't do that again. They suit some people but alas not me.
 
Yes, it goes in fits and spurts, doesn't it.
The writing I mean, not the beard.
On that point, I tried to grow a beard on holiday. Annoyed the wife, scared the children, looked like a tw*t. Won't do that again. They suit some people but alas not me.
Pretty sure I have a picture of the last time I did mine...
20150801_161534137_iOS.jpg
Nope, not it. Hang on...

Ah.
20150508_185917770_iOS.JPG
 
Now, that's a real beard. You could discover the source of the Nile with that.
Have you read my book, Across the World? No... you haven't... how did you know?

Well, I'll tell you what's there. The lost city of Zerzurra, and out-plane Seelie faeries masquerading as a dynasty named the Batembuzi.
 
I only have the one, my dear Ares. He's only a year old. He shall be the first of many mwhahaha! Hubby permitting of course ;)
Ares.jpg
 
AWWWWW...

Izzy's about two years old, and Toby is maybe ten weeks.

Gah! Tiny baby kitten! Oreo is about 3 and a half yrs old, and Cookie is just over a year old. He's a momma's boy, straight up, which is good bc Oreo likes my husband much more (you know, since he rescued him out of a box). Me, I just stole his side of the bed.
 
Izzy has always been a daddy's boy, but because I betrayed him and brought in a new kitten he's forsaken me for Katina.
 
Izzy has always been a daddy's boy, but because I betrayed him and brought in a new kitten he's forsaken me for Katina.

Yeah - I actually think Oreo likes me more bc we brought Cookie home. I am an affectionate cat mom, so I hug and kiss my cats (bc they're basically my kids) and Oreo hates touching. Cookie is an attention- and love-whore, so he doesn't care. Which is why he's my cat lol
 
Yeah - I actually think Oreo likes me more bc we brought Cookie home. I am an affectionate cat mom, so I hug and kiss my cats (bc they're basically my kids) and Oreo hates touching. Cookie is an attention- and love-whore, so he doesn't care. Which is why he's my cat lol
Izzy would complain if Katina tried to hold him or pet him, and then start purring instantly when I would come over — it drove her crazy. She'd be all,
"Why do you hate me Izzy?" Now he's decided she's okay, because she's not a dirty traitor. Even though the kitten was her idea...
Toby just mashes his nose in your face and rubs it around.
 
Izzy would complain if Katina tried to hold him or pet him, and then start purring instantly when I would come over — it drove her crazy. She'd be all,
"Why do you hate me Izzy?" Now he's decided she's okay, because she's not a dirty traitor. Even though the kitten was her idea...
Toby just mashes his nose in your face and rubs it around.

Welp, that's just adorable. If my hand is anywhere near Cookie or happens to be hanging off the side of the bed, he will rub his face all over my hand. If I'm on the ground doing ab workouts, he likes to "help" by rubbing his hairy face all over my sticky one, leaving me with a streak of kitty hair on my face. *sigh* It's a good thing cats are adorable.
 
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