stop writing

stop writing

if your words aren’t bursting out your gut and making

everyone see your insides,

stop writing.

if you’re doing it because people

told you you’re good at it

stop writing.

if you’re doing it for a pay cheque and a straight to DVD movie

written by some bumblefuck director

stop writing.

if you ever think I’m more interested how your poem shaped American counterculture

than the f*****g poem itself

stop writing.

if your fingers are tapping to the beat of the deadline

then they’re going too fast. Slow them down and

stop writing.

 

there’s a million books for the fatheads

who judge poems by the stars in the smug reviews

of some Cambridge c**t.

and for the shackled old women

who need the same detective

solving the same case

with the same f*****g wry smile that leans out of the book

with eyes that beg you to keep reading.

why add to that saturated s**t show

when there’s so much more you can throw out there

and I mean throw, with all your force like

a roided up jock throwing his weight.

 

 

stop adding to the libraries,

they’re so obese with stories

that they’re shitting out metaphors

and spewing your similes.

burn them down if you have to " here!

I’ll give you the lighter.

We can watch it burn together,

every allusion,

reference

and sly wink can fill the air with smoke

if it wasn’t from the heart.

 

After the clouds roll away take this pen

and put it in your pocket.

Let it rest there until you need it,

until your heart explodes and your soul

shoots out your mouth onto the page.

When you’d rather stick the pen through your skull

than never bare your breast on that page;

then you can start writing.

Reviews

[D Connolly]

While I agree with a lot of this stuff, I have to ask, what's wrong with wanting to make a living with something you're passionate about? I've always wanted to be a writer, I have stories pouring out of my head and characters screaming to be let out into the world. I think there's a balance between writing FOR the consumers simply to sell, and writing what you like, which just happens to be what other people are interested in too (like vampire novels or romance for example). I mean, Dean Koontz writes basically the same story in every book, which I think is really lame, but he's certainly not worried about my opinion as he falls asleep on a bed of money every night LOL. Here's to writing what we love, may everyone else love it too, and give us all their money.

[Hell in a Hip Flask]

There's nothing wrong with making the living but it's the passion that I think can be lacking from people like Dean Koontz and I understand people will need to make money with what sells and that's fine but what I'm more trying to focus on is that the writing that really engages me is the writing that is written from that place of sincerity instead of an ulterior motive. I appreciate that not every piece of writing will be from that genuine place, people gotta make that dolla dolla but when it is it's just more refreshing for me. I also think it's pretty essential to enjoying your own writing and the process of writing your own stuff that you are engaged. If someone writes 100 vampire novels and still feels like that's really what they want to write then all power too them but if they don't you can normally tell, thanks for the comment made me think about my poem a bit more :)

[D Connolly]

Artists have it rough... I do want to be that best selling author, and I would be lying if I said any different, but I have a feeling that as soon as someone gives me an actual deadline or starts harping on me about a new story, or even if a fan wants to compare me to the sunshine or something like that, I'll clam up and hide in my room so I can write what I'm passionate about without any pressure to sell. It's a rock and a hard place. How can you do what you love and make a living without bending to the pressures of the market? Anyway, this is a good take on the situation, and it's making people think; that's obvious and that's what writing is supposed to do; someone sent this to me. I will read more of your work soon
Dani

[Hell in a Hip Flask]

Yeah it's definitely a subject I think I'll be focusing on a quite a bit over some poems I have planned and thanks I'll be sure to check out your work too

[Tony Jordan]

Nothing to add but can I just say I love this interaction!!

[Dr. YumnaKay]

This is good! We really shouldn't write just for praise and compliments.. Passion is the main thing I think.. You have got to feel what you write too.. I liked reading this.. Made me think...

[Hell in a Hip Flask]

Thank you, yeah that's pretty much the gist of it, it's also about waiting for inspiration rather than forcing out writing for the sake of writing

[Dr. YumnaKay]

I agree! And you are welcome ☺

[Harambe]

Ostensibly this is merely a drunken rant, however by digging merely slightly deeper we begin to uncover the true meaning of this poem which is a challenge to the established order and a call to arms.

Truly genius, would read again.

[Tony Jordan]

Well that's ...ermm...fierce as any poem I ever read on the reasons for writing and for not writing.
It has more passion than a box of passion fruits and it doesn't half fire the blood up.
I was being educated. I like it.

[Hell in a Hip Flask]

Thanks man, try Bukowski if you haven't already for more like this, he's simple but he gets you in the balls, or whatever balls is for women

[Tony Jordan]

I have read his biog. S**t...I mean man, he had such a hard life.
He's certainly a trailblazer (and had a mean right hook too lol)
pssst...women got balls ...just sayin
xD

[Hell in a Hip Flask]

they never taught me that in Biology, might've been more useful than knowing the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell