New Stephen King Biography.

Well BOOL on you I liked Lisey's Story alot myself. Seems to me that there might've been some realistic aspects of Stephen's life in the work. Whether that's just me making an insinuation that didn't really exist or an actual fact I don't remember, but the nature of the MCs relationship with his wife was what I thought might possibly contain a grain of truth.

Personally, I'd take King's own words as truth, rather than the utter nonsense of a British Tabloid. I'm an addict too, and the thing about it is, if he had problems, he had them. He's admitted to them himself. Drugs, alcohol... these things are no different for Stephen King as they were for me. I'd wake up not knowing how I spent the last several days. Simply because he has fame and a fortune most people envy doesn't make him impervious to the effects of drugs and alcohol. Frankly, it surprises me that so many people speculate about it when EVERY alcoholic wakes up in a puddle of puke at some point, every coke head wakes up with a bloody nose. The only reason it's so shocking when it comes to Mr. King is because people expect him to be different. WHY they expect it is beyond me. He's only a man who has lived a life. When I hear terms like "tortured genius" it makes me want to puke. Alcoholism and drug addictions are not things to take lightly, but people are surprised by this. This is, sadly, not unlike any other life in which drugs and alcohol are present. The expectations are what makes it different.

rugcat said:

We're all familiar with King's addiction struggles, but it looks like they were even worse than reported.

A frightening aspect is that he apparently not only wrote many of his books while totally wasted, but when he finally got clean, he immediately developed a crippling writers' block.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...n-drink-drugs-nearly-killed-him.html?ITO=1490

Now, the Daily Mail is a tabloid that leans toward the sensational and has been successfully sued for libel in the past, so maybe it should be taken with a grain of salt. But this article is based on a forthcoming book and does have a certain ring of truth.

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I heard of a study in the late '70's of college students that if you're drinking (or toking, or whatever) while studying, you'll do better on a test of the material if you're also a bit buzzed. Of course, you won't do as well in either case as if you're sober both when studying and while taking the test.

That in itself could possibly explain writer's block (he learned much about writing while drinking), but I suspect there's more to it. All the repetition of the "powerless" meme (along with other "ego deflation" techniques) in A&D treatment/recovery can really beat one down (don't ask how I know, or if you must, kick my butt for me to write my own memoir).

SPMiller said:

Yet another example of how important it is to not mix drug intake of any sort with your writing routine.

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IMHO anyone who does anything involving thinking (writing fiction certainly does, as do most other things people do) can best do it without the use of mind-altering substances altogether. (Video of James Randi I've posted before)
On the other hand, there are admittedly many successful writers who drank and/or drugged to excess. Such chemically-induced mind-altering experiences can certainly provide inspiration for writing, but one has to wonder about the cost to the writer.

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/state-dependent+learning

It's true. I can kick your butt at pool when drunk, but stick a cue in my hands sober, and I'm lucky to sink a single ball.

Never was interested enough in it to re-learn sober, lol.

After The Shawshenk Redempotion and The Green Mile, I have to ask: Did he spend time either in jail or in a rehab facility? ... or two?? ... or five??

I recall reading in On Writing his account of Tabitha orchestrating a classic intervention, including her agrilly dumping out a trash can onto the floor --in front of him and everyone there at the intervention-- full of his dozens of bloody coke spoons and empty booze bottles. And so he agreed to go to rehab.




And then along comes Shawshenk and Green Mile.





Was he in more than one facility? And why did those two stories lean so heavilly toward actual prisons as opposed to hospitals?

Yes--he confessed in On Writing that he had a huge problem, and explained in painfully graphic detail about how it impacted his family. But I do not recall his revealing WHERE he did his rehab.





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benbradley said:

(don't ask how I know, or if you must, kick my butt for me to write my own memoir)

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*kick*

*kick*

*kick kick kick*

I think it was someone here on AW who said not to develop any kind of habit whilst writing--whether it's eating while typing, drinking or smoking, etc, because your brain comes to associate the addictive behavior with the creative process. Then, in order to "get in the zone," so to speak, you'll have to take up the habit again. If you decide to quit, your creativity becomes paralyzed, ergo, writer's block. I never really considered that before I heard that here, but it makes sense.

Siddow said:

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/state-dependent+learning

It's true. I can kick your butt at pool when drunk, but stick a cue in my hands sober, and I'm lucky to sink a single ball.

Never was interested enough in it to re-learn sober, lol.

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Man, I thought I was the only one who had this problem. I actually spent a year shooting pool at least three times a week sober, just to try and unlearn my association, but was never successful.

No matter how much I practiced, when it came time to shoot for real (sober) I may as well've been blindfolded. I'd likely hit in more balls that way. Lol.

Plot Device said:

Yes--he confessed in On Writing that he had a huge problem, and explained in painfully graphic detail about how it impacted his family. But I do not recall his revealing WHERE he did his rehab.
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I've read somewhere that it was a place called Brookside in NH but I don't have any solid information on that.