tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post3576366738019777978..comments2024-02-12T17:59:33.534-06:00Comments on RAZORED ZEN: A Time to Hang Up Your Guns: Part 1Charles Gramlichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-855107474204813722009-09-08T13:08:36.719-05:002009-09-08T13:08:36.719-05:00Mary, Hemingway definitely was suffering some seri...Mary, Hemingway definitely was suffering some serious health issues after years of abusing himself. There are probably a lot of factors invovled in any suicide.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-78732452533745927332009-09-07T14:28:28.352-05:002009-09-07T14:28:28.352-05:00I might be wrong, but I think Hemingway lost other...I might be wrong, but I think Hemingway lost other powers and that is what made him pull the trigger. <br /><br />If I lost my drive to create, I think I'd find another one. I know I'd try. Life seems too short already. As long as I have any kind of quality of life, I want to do the George Bernard Shaw thing and use myself right up.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-47293918845235786122009-09-05T19:37:39.604-05:002009-09-05T19:37:39.604-05:00Candy, there's definitely something to be said...Candy, there's definitely something to be said for being hungry, and when that hungry is fed.<br /><br /><br />Gary, ARCHAVIST, it may be, also that King and Koontz are still marketed in the same old way although their writing has changed.<br /><br />Lana Gramlich, heaven would have to be pretty flexible to accomodate everyone.<br /><br />Travis, I see a lot of writers who really do seem to have that 'story" or a few "stories" that they have to get out. I suppose when that is gone you have to change or die.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-22258016357384212192009-09-04T19:07:27.490-05:002009-09-04T19:07:27.490-05:00I'm going to suggest that the loss of "it...I'm going to suggest that the loss of "it", whatever "it" is, might be due to no longer having a story to tell. Even if a prolific writer seems to be telling the same story over and over again, I suspect that he still feels like he has his story that he wants to tell, so he continues to write it.<br /><br />Perhaps when he's told the story he has always longed to tell, his motivation to write changes or subsides completely.<br /><br />And perhaps when a writer is so wedded to the story he is telling that when he has told it, he is empty. And some react to that emptiness by ending life rather than searching for something else to fill it.Travis Codyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06192526507760146748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-49952313967409715102009-09-04T19:02:38.353-05:002009-09-04T19:02:38.353-05:00Where does one go when one reaches the top of thei...Where does one go when one reaches the top of their profession, anyway? Roger Waters went mad. M*A*S*H* went too far. This is in line with my belief that the general concept of "heaven" would eventually turn into the worst kind of hell.Lana Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06975996208260144558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-91182251503031359402009-09-04T14:33:12.917-05:002009-09-04T14:33:12.917-05:00I don't go with the age thing. I think that ar...I don't go with the age thing. I think that artists work matures as they themselves age. Maybe they lose a certain hunger but there's no reason for their work not to continue to sparkle. Agree about King and Koontz, though. Maybe their genres are better suited to the youth.Gary Dobbs/Jack Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10935686140719743351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-23588074917886768912009-09-04T10:22:02.865-05:002009-09-04T10:22:02.865-05:00I suspect the perceived deterioration in their wri...I suspect the perceived deterioration in their writing was simply one of several things that drove those men to suicide. That said, I think many writers do decline with time. Maybe it's that we all have certain things to say and once you've said then, you start to feel as if you're repeating yourself. Add to that age, a loss of energy, and--in the case of the ubersuccuessful--no longer being hungry. I can think of a lot of bestselling authors who should have quit writing 20-100 books ago. Then again, many of them have actually quit, and simply hire young, hungry ghost writers!cs harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13708705800818667923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-89011798954828331412009-09-03T23:03:35.194-05:002009-09-03T23:03:35.194-05:00SzélsőFa, I remember when I got deeply involved in...SzélsőFa, I remember when I got deeply involved in online Role playing and really cut back substantially on my writing because I was doing it there. It's certainly true that focus can change.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-61256501433578866372009-09-03T15:46:59.556-05:002009-09-03T15:46:59.556-05:00A very interesting post again, Charles - I will su...A very interesting post again, Charles - I will surely read Part II.<br />in the meantime, *it* might refer to a way to express themselves, a need to solve problems in one special way, that is, in writing. if there is another, more successful way is found, there's no need to undergo the hard work of writing.<br />perhaps this was not the case with the three acknowledged writers you mentioned... I don't know.<br /><br />all I know is that when I was deeply involved in an online game I did not write at all. it seemed to me that all that triggered my writing had gone.<br /><i>sorry for being so personal, but that was the only way I was able to contribute.</i>SzélsőFahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11600289147447182465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-23121675492091482322009-09-03T13:56:44.941-05:002009-09-03T13:56:44.941-05:00O'neil, good to see you man. GLad you are fee...O'neil, good to see you man. GLad you are feeling fit. I'm definitely writing differently these days. Occassionally a line or paragraph will strike me and I know I couldn't have achieved that effect earlier in my career, but I also sometimes read my older stuff and am amazed at the passion there. Anyway, good to see you.<br /><br />Miladysa, there are certainly those temporary moments when things come to a standstill, but I think most often those are the kind of plateaus that Steve Malley was talking about.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-23333608326619667342009-09-03T13:35:04.362-05:002009-09-03T13:35:04.362-05:00I bet they all got it back the moment they hit the...I bet they all got it back the moment they hit the other side.<br /><br />I haven't had time to read all the other comments but I agree with Avery regarding priorities. I've lost it recently and fingers crossed I get it back before I hit the other side :)Miladysahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08065128196666157541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-47984950834640501572009-09-03T12:12:17.437-05:002009-09-03T12:12:17.437-05:00Interesting article, Sir Charles.
As I write my la...Interesting article, Sir Charles.<br />As I write my latest novel and re-read what I've written so far, I know I'm writing better than I ever have and feel I will continue to improve because the writing is all that matters. I think I am fortunate in that.<br /><br />When we lost George (Alec Effinger) at around the age I am now, I don't feel he was in the same position. He was worn down by medical problems and, frankly, by life. Then again, he started with so much more talent and I do miss him as a friend and mentor and the world misses the stories and books he never got to write. For those unfamiliar with George he died of natural causes, nothing like Hemingway or Howard or even London.<br /><br />Having a heart condition did change my life, however. It's forced me to narrow my focus because, I'll say it again - the writing is all that matters.O'Neil De Nouxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03142721824657611738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-27806262013238675832009-09-03T10:51:58.082-05:002009-09-03T10:51:58.082-05:00benjibopper, Most great mathemeticians and chess ...benjibopper, Most great mathemeticians and chess players have their best years in their 20s and 30s. There is definitely some brain effects going on there. I wondered that about my first novel too, but it turned out it kind of increased my drive to get a second one published so the first wouldn't be viewed as a fluke.<br /><br /> <br />Michelle, I agree, and I'm lucky in that I'm interested in so many things that if I didn't have one to obsess over I could easily find a dozen others. I also agree that artistic lives do exact a toll. It can wear you out.<br /><br />jennifer, I think it does apply, and shows that creativity may also be strongly influenced by environment and demands on our time. More kids, more demands.<br /><br />Wil, well, the main problem I see, Wil, is that you're talking to someone who isn't even here. Finding out whether Heff is a figment of your imagination, and I'm not convinced of the answer to that yet, we could be assigning you a title like "delusional."Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-44946852036655471052009-09-03T10:36:00.105-05:002009-09-03T10:36:00.105-05:00Dammit Heff, we better stay out of this one. The ...Dammit Heff, we better stay out of this one. The intellectual types are talking and posting long comments. Our simple one-liners might not fit in, and shit. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.wilharrison.com/" rel="nofollow">Wil Harrison.com</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-92220385564788593502009-09-03T09:46:17.854-05:002009-09-03T09:46:17.854-05:00I'd never thought about age having an influenc...I'd never thought about age having an influence over creativity. It has occurred some in our home in regards to helping my kids with projects. When the oldest was in elementary school, I had tons of ideas. Now with the third child I say "Ask you father." <br /><br />*This doesn't actually apply to your post, I know, but I am in full Mommy-mode this week :)jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08547226679311827501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-31596611247285727742009-09-03T08:54:06.593-05:002009-09-03T08:54:06.593-05:00Hey Charles,
Herein lies my worst fear in some wa...Hey Charles,<br /><br />Herein lies my worst fear in some ways. I think that a person gets sick of life and bored and that is the end. The best thing, I believe, is to stay interested in the past, present, and future as much as you can. I do think any artistic life exacts a pretty high price -- just on a pratical level, staying in your mind in a big bunch of emotion (usually sad emotions) isn't a recipe for the most stable life. I'm okay with that -- nothing is without cost. I don't tend toward suicide myself, but I completely understand how those guys did.Michelle's Spellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15769666862403600253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-39578222748164889462009-09-03T08:17:44.792-05:002009-09-03T08:17:44.792-05:00I read somewhere that great artists usually have a...I read somewhere that great artists usually have about a 10-year window of true greatness. For Bob Dylan it was the mid-60s to mid-70s, they say, for Woody Guthrie it was the 40s, they say. Guthrie got sick after that, and Dylan got sick of the fame. But Dylan has continued to produce some amazing material and won grammies and oscars, so maybe indeed his style just changed.<br /><br />It's an interesting topic, and I do wonder if, once my dream of seeing my first novel published is realized, I will have the drive to do it again.Chris Benjaminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00402945887045545024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-27775430893453011152009-09-02T23:30:10.281-05:002009-09-02T23:30:10.281-05:00Barbara Martin, that's true. I feel different...Barbara Martin, that's true. I feel differently about different stories. Sometimes raging with enthusiasm, sometimes not so much.<br /><br />Rick, Good thoughts. I certainly think that while one's skills are "rising," then you definitely keep going. I don't know so clearly about when one's skills are falling. I don't think that necessarily means one should quit, but it's an interesting thought experiment. Is there ever a time to stop? I used the gun analogy because of the old stories about gunfighters starting to lose their edge, for whatever reason, and thus being more likely to get killed in a gunfight. Certainly it's not a perfect analogy given that nothing similar is going to happen to us as writers if we "lose a step." I'm very happy with all the comments, I got, though. Good thoughts coming out.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-736671253877735772009-09-02T21:33:55.860-05:002009-09-02T21:33:55.860-05:00May I re-slant your question? Okay, I'll take...May I re-slant your question? Okay, I'll take that as a yes!<br /><br />Should younger writers simply hang up their guns? They don't have "it" yet. So if not having it is reason to stop writing, then we should all have quit writing long ago. <br /><br />Younger writers frequently lack focus. Is this an age issue? Should they quit because of this.<br /><br />And they frequently lack the will power to do their best work as self-discipline is always a work in progress. Should they cease to write? Should they hang up their guns?<br /><br />Should only those at the peak of their powers write? Are there no good ideas and compelling works produced by writers young and old not at their prime?<br /><br />And exactly what is our prime? Is it when we are writing our best? Is spring better than fall? Is summer better than winter? Each is as season unto itself leading to the next in an endless cycle. I think it is the same with writing. We should write regardless. Always write. <br /><br />Beginners should write to get better. Older writers should do the same. Ray Bradbury, at his age, is still better than 99% of the working today.<br /><br />And should we really compare ourselves to our former selves? Do past glories imagined our real have to haunt our lives like vindictive shadows? Must the imagine possibilities of beginning writers weigh them down until their potentialites are crushed beneath the resignation that they can never be as great as others before them?<br /><br />Old or young, we should write because we love it. Beginner or seasoned professional, it's still the same issue.<br /><br />Wonderful, thought-provoking post, Charles.Rickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14546882686381428986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-6765113075207704832009-09-02T20:56:49.816-05:002009-09-02T20:56:49.816-05:00As writers we have different stories to tell, some...As writers we have different stories to tell, some we are more enthused about. I still have a passion to write more fantaasies and perhaps a western or two.Barbara Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00610140328527165017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-89889170686007415812009-09-02T20:13:14.355-05:002009-09-02T20:13:14.355-05:00Shauna Roberts, probably so. This kind of thinkin...Shauna Roberts, probably so. This kind of thinking arises for me, in a lesser way, when I wonder whether I should switch between genres so frequently, and sometimes write poetry. Maybe I'd be better to focus on just one genre. hard to know and it may not be the same thing at all.<br /><br />Maalie, yes, I've heard that, and that part of the reason is that he blamed himself to some extent because it was on the voyage he captained that Darwin found much of his evidence for evolution.<br /><br />Cloudia, I still worry sometimes, but I think it is mostly worry about my health and the issues that may bring. Other than that I don't see a lot of change in my productivity and habits.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-22943990597460760052009-09-02T18:57:50.614-05:002009-09-02T18:57:50.614-05:00I used to be terrified of losing it! Now I trust t...I used to be terrified of losing it! Now I trust that the magic will happen. My drive was mostly a catch-up, or inferiority complex. Now I trust the process, and post to my blog and write my column because it is who I am and because it hooks me to all these cool people like you. Our concentration my change as we age, but it is just that our spirit is concentrated on things not-worldly. What used to be due to work and technique, now comes as a gift from reality, assisted by (writing)muscle memory. But don;t go by me...I've always been an outlayer ;-]<br />Aloha, Charles<br /><br /><a href="http://comfortspiral.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Comfort Spiral</a>Cloudiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05853753108637831069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-50704579047023816142009-09-02T15:51:38.071-05:002009-09-02T15:51:38.071-05:00Apparently Captain FitzRoy (of Darwin's Beagle...Apparently Captain FitzRoy (of Darwin's Beagle fame), a devout creationist, also shot himself when he realised the evidence against Genesis was stacking up.Maaliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13444125754967223180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-44762104428336432782009-09-02T13:23:31.862-05:002009-09-02T13:23:31.862-05:00The epitome of "creativity spread somewhat th...The epitome of "creativity spread somewhat thin over many things" was Leonardo da Vinci. An expert musician, composer, engineer, painter, sculptor, inventor, and on and on. If he had focused on just a couple of his talents, he would probably have been more productive.Shauna Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-87004745096998023722009-09-02T13:05:04.752-05:002009-09-02T13:05:04.752-05:00Middle Ditch, maybe not just age, but there may be...Middle Ditch, maybe not just age, but there may be issues surrounding ill health, especially if it is something related to brain health. I'm not sure what you maen about ego.<br /><br />Shauna Roberts, that's true, we can be creative in more ways that the ones considered traditional. I'd like to investigate more about the idea that creativity might be spread somewhat thin over many things. <br /><br />pattinase, there are physical tolls we have to pay for sure. I certainly see it in my own writing.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.com