"Write Drunk, Edit Sober": What the Writing Advice Means

Although people have commonly attributed the quote “write drunk, edit sober” to many different famous authors, the quote owes its true origin to a fictional writer. In Peter De Vries’ novel Reuben, Reuben, a character based on the poet Dylan Thomas offers the advice verbatim.

Many wrongly state Ernest Hemingway specifically was the originator of this quote. Although Hemingway had a long-term problem with alcohol, he made it clear he personally always wrote sober and saved his drinking until after he finished his work for the day.

There are at least two schools of thought when it comes to the quote “write drunk, edit sober”: a literal one and a figurative one. Some take the advice to be literal—in other words, go out of your way to become intoxicated to free up your creative thinking and then edit your work later in a more analytical and sober state of mind.

Alternatively, some consider the advice to hold more value in a metaphorical sense, encouraging a more free-flowing and uninhibited writing process complemented by a stringent editing approach—but with no actual alcohol necessary.

While the advice “write drunk, edit sober” has plenty of adherents and fans, others think it might lead people in the wrong direction. Here are just three of the most prominent criticisms of the adage:

1. 1. The saying encourages recklessness. By consuming ample amounts of a depressant, you reduce both inhibitions and coherence. This lessens your ability to fact-check as well as prevent grammatical errors or typos. William Faulkner would occasionally have no idea what he meant by significant portions of his prose the next morning after writing with his whiskey bottle by his side.
2. 2. The saying glorifies substance abuse. Some authors insist the quote offers bad advice due to their own stances on addiction and recovery. Stephen King, for instance, has admitted both his creative work and personal life suffered immensely under the burden of alcoholism.
3. 3. The saying is inaccurate. While various authors have made oblique or obvious references to writing under the influence, the actual quote doesn’t belong to Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, or any other of the more usual suspects. As such, it’s harder to take it seriously as advice from history’s most acclaimed authors.

It’s possible to glean a positive effect from the advice to “write drunk, edit sober.” Keep these tips in mind:

• Acknowledge the saying’s apocryphal nature. Even if a writing class teacher swore to you this was advice straight from the mouth of Ernest Hemingway, recognize the fact it’s actually a quote from a fictional character. Mariel Hemingway, Ernest’s granddaughter, said the author wrote and edited sober. Whether you take the advice or not is up to you; just be realistic about its origins rather than think all your favorite authors took it to heart or even said it themselves.
• Practice moderation. If you do decide to introduce alcohol into your writing routine, do so in moderation. One to two drinks a night is the usual recommendation for alcohol consumption in a general sense. Check with your doctor about whether you might need to forgo all alcohol due to any underlying medical conditions. Even if you think alcohol might help you overcome writer’s block for a new short story, your health and well-being should take a higher priority. Additionally, keep in mind there are great authors, like Stephen King, who used to drink while writing but eventually discovered they wrote better without it.
• Take the saying figuratively. Starting an early morning of editing hungover would make the advice a harder pill to swallow, so consider taking it figuratively instead. When you start your day, write as if you had no inhibitions or hang-ups. Look at a writing prompt and write freely without concern for logical flow. Just create and ask questions later. Edit with a more analytical mindset later. In a more poetic sense, it’s possible to write drunk and edit sober without a single drop of alcohol passing your lips.

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