With the discretion and intelligence necessary to demur… do you know author, Stephen King, admittedly does not recall writing entire books due to active addiction?
A prolific scribbler who prefers paper and a fountain pen to a keyboard, he began drinking at age 19, one year beyond the age of emancipation, two years shy of being able to legally purchase alcohol. He eventually progressed to cocaine, Listerine®, marijuana, NyQuil®, Valium, Xanax, or “any substance that came his way.”
A self-described addictive personality, he smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for over a decade, previously credited nicotine with stimulating his imagination, and later blamed ditching the habit with slowing his writing.
The author of 65 novels/novellas and approximately 200 short stories, and the recipient of more than 50 awards for his entire bibliography, he now actively rallies against the idea that addiction fuels creativity.
Other interesting facts about Stephen King:
First Published Novel: Carrie
First paid writing gigs: Porn for Playboy
Richard Bachman is his Nom-de-Plume/Pseudonym.
Collaborated on the video, Ghost, with Michael Jackson.
Suffers from triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number ’13’).
Declared “4F” or Unfit for Military Service during the Vietnam War.
Holds the Guinness World Record for Highest Grossing Novelist at the Movies.
Is slowly going blind due to Macular Degeneration/Loss of Central Vision.
Is the owner of Zone Radio Corporation, a group of rock-n-roll radio stations.
Thanks for reading,
I would hate to not remember creating amazing shit--that’s the part of King’s story that haunts me. Because the process is so important to experience. I never got to where my writing was propelled by alcohol so (humbly) I think I just got lucky. I can’t actually write from a numb state which is what alcohol gave me: disinhibition yes but due to numbness. If the two had been entangled for me (writing and drinking) I know it would have been even harder to quit drinking. I’m (only) two years into alcohol abstinence and writing feels better.
Oh wow - my partner and I were just having a conversation about the role of addiction and creativity so this across at the right time.