Dos and Don'ts of writing drug trips?

I'm assuming you all are joking at this point, but just to clarify: Cops have acknowledged that they would rather deal with pot smokers than drinkers, because stoners are not aggressive and alcoholics are; drunks cause car accidents on a regular basis, while stoners rarely make it off the couch. Ecstasy forces the heart valve open. The social barriers disappear, and you feel great affection for everyone. Blood pouring from the moon could potentially happen if you were on LSD or peyote, which are both psychedelic hallucinogens. I'm not familiar with the drugs that most commonly cause psychosis, such as PCP, which is also a hallucinogen, but in a more dangerous class than psychedelics.

I had a relatively tame adolescence being the hypersensitive, lightweight of my peer group, so I never saw pink elephants either, not even close. I did see a fire truck drive by once that was being driven by the devil. He had red horns and everything. Luckily, I don't believe in the devil, so I just thought that it was really weird that the guy driving the fire truck was dressed up like the devil.

I would suggest doing some research, so you know what you're talking about when you go to write the scene. You don't have to take the drugs to get a basic understanding.

Knigel said:

Papaya, you raise excellent points and I want to add a little. While cannabis may have calming effects on many — if not most — people, that's not always the case. First of all, it acts as a CNS stimulant. Secondly, it can bring out pre-existing conditions such as mental illness.

Overall, there's been excellent advice in this thread, and I really appreciate all of the help.

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You make a good point about people who are predisposed to mental illness, especially schizophrenia. But cannabis also has quite a few medicinal properties.

Zach Lancer said:

No, no and no again on using HST as an example. I love that guy to death, perhaps my favorite writer of all time, but he was an utterly unique writer, you should not try to write like him.

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I think the OP was asking "...I'm wondering if I could get some advice from you all into what you have and have not liked in literature drug trips. Any advice in general would be appreciated."

If you can't offer up Thompson as an example, who can you?

I don't think anyone was saying try to copy him. Rather read how he does it, how others do it. I know it's how I learn. Rather than read writing how-to books, I go straight to the masters, and read their work.

I've never been on a drug trip (I have been on a sugar high. Does that count? ), but from what I understand it can be colorful, vivid, and pretty darn spectacular, and intensifies any issue you ever had in your entire life.

I don't know if that helped or not, but....

There you go.

Interview people who have done drugs. Put up a thread under research. Some people might respond (or send PMs). I have no issue talking about my past experimentation with drugs. We all do really stupid things when we're younger, some drug-related, some not. Hit me up in the PMs if you have any specific questions.

As for writing it, as long as you make the transitions clear to the reader, you should be alright. We just need a reason why you're showing this. How will it impact the user/character? How does it build story? What's at risk?

I know somebody who used to smoke pot every day. Mellowed her out. Made the sky bluer, made her perpetually hungry for something sweet, then she got paranoid. No fun anymore. I know somebody else who smokes in the morning. It gets him going. Revs him up and makes him perpetually hungry for something. . .

Point being, what drug, and how much the person takes, how often he/she uses, etc., all need to be considered, as well as other factors: the character's personal situation, predisposition, personality, etc., etc. Iow, it all depends.

Hunger Games had a good drug trip, IMO. You might want to read it.