Introducing Drunk on Writing

“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”

That’s a quote from Ray Bradbury’s Zen in the Art of Writing, originally published in 1987, and it’s part of the inspiration for my new project, Drunk on Writing.

Drunk on Writing is a celebration of storytelling. Whether in the form of a novel, a script, a lyric, I want to take a look at what makes a piece of writing relevant and important. I also want to delve into what makes writers tick, how writing has evolved, and where it’s going from here.

Drunk on Writing is launching today with three types of videos:

• Dissections: Part review, part analysis, I’ll go in-depth about one or more pieces of writing, exploring their themes, their creation, their inspirations and more.
• The History of Writing: Writing is taken for granted today, but where did it all begin? How did it develop? How did we go from using sticks and mud to keyboards and mice? We’re going to explore all of these questions and more.
• Reacts: No script, no outline, just pure reactions to writing-related happenings in the world, whether it’s the latest Star Wars trailer, J.K. Rowling apologizing for yet another death, or the latest limited beer release.

Which brings me to the other part of Drunk on Writing.

Most episodes will also feature a beverage of some sort. Whether it’s beer, wine, whiskey, tequila, mescal, gin or a cocktail. There'll be episodes dedicated solely to one or more of the above as well. Because while celebrating writing, with this series I’m also going to delve into the world of craft brewing and distilling—its own sort of storytelling, really, and certainly writing-related. Jack Kerouac, Dylan Thomas, John Cheever, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, among others, will clearly attest to that.

But what really ties these two, seemingly drastically different, worlds together is that they both offer ways to escape reality, to make the bleak look a little rosier. And I think that’s danged important this day and age.

Drunk on Writing will live on YouTube, but I’m launching it through Patreon. With Patreon, viewers like you can be part of the vision, the celebration, the escape that Drunk on Writing is and will be. You can also get early access to videos, exclusive behind the scenes looks at how they’re made, and even a chance to tell me what to look at in the Dissections.

The first episode of Drunk on Writing will post to YouTube next Tuesday, June 13, with new episodes coming every other Tuesday thereafter. As certain goals are hit, though, the number of videos, and the types of videos, will increase. Keep checking here, Patreon, YouTube, Facebook or Twitter for updates!