I think we can safely say that Jack Kerouac may have been intoxicated when he wrote these writing tips. ‘Teahead’ means ‘pothead’ (I had to Google that).
I don’t know if Marcel Proust was really a pothead or if weed makes you a better writer. In my case THC gives me hamster cheeks and terrifying panic attacks.
What I think Jack is trying to say here (besides justifying his use of weed by making an accomplice out of a literary figure) is that you shouldn’t write by the rules.
In tranced fixation dreaming upon object before you
Dear Writer,
Have you ever been in a writing trance? The muse. Divine inspiration. The force. Whatever you want to call it, when it’s there, you feel it. Nothing can stop you from creating the art you want to manifest into the world.
Well, except things like work, spouse, kids, social obligations… Life gets in the way.
Don’t waste this energy. When your neurons are on fire with an idea, hide somewhere for a writing sprint. Lock yourself in the closet. Get up at 2 a.m. when everyone else is asleep. Do what you have to do before the dream slips away.
Happy Writing,
—Christa
Where is your favorite writing place? Please share.
I have a tendency to overdecorate my sentences. I’m recovering from this addiction and must constantly remind myself that too much of a good thing can make for tedious reading.
Don’t try too hard with your prose. We don’t have to find a use for every word in the thesaurus. Resist the urge to squeeze in every adjective and adverb into your sentences. Just write exactly what is.
Use powerful imagery and descriptions strategically. Give your reader a break with some lighter reading. Then thrill them with the occasional zinger.
Continuing our elaboration of Jack Kerouac’s Belief and Technique for Modern Prose.
Write what you want bottomless from bottom of the mind
How low can you go?
Often we don’t know what kind of cerebral garbage has piled up until we start writing. Once we get into the flow state, all kinds of bizarre neurosis surface from the rubble.
You’ll discover fears that never had a name and desires you never knew you had. Sometimes the fears are of these desires.
It might be scary, smelly, and dark, but don’t turn back. This is when the writing gets really good. Keep going till you dig to the bottom … if there is one.
Continuing our elaboration of Jack Kerouac’s Belief and Technique for Modern Prose.
Blow as deep as you want to blow
Yes, writing is sometimes like standing naked in front of strangers who are poring over you with HD cameras. You sweat as they scrutinize every blemish, scar, and crevice.
But resist the urge to hold back.
Nothing is too wild, too ridiculous, too dark, too lewd, too silly if it tells a truth. Readers don’t want a half-assed, cowardly attempt. That’s a waste of time. They want whole-ass stories.
Writers are exhibitionists. Don’t pretend you didn’t want to expose yourself.
Be bold. Say what you really want to say. Blow as deep as you want to blow.
