Writers and Drug Dealers. “Peculiar” Similarities…
(Disclaimer: this article is a little ballsy. I’m not encouraging anyone to get involved with drugs or anything.)
I’m scared.
You see, as an author of suspense books, I realized what I was truly offering my readers.
Maybe it sounds like a dumb realization to those who’ve been writing for a long time, but I realized that what people paid me for as a writer was entertainment.
The definition of entertainment on Wikipedia is “a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight.”
We writers entertain with stories and ideas in a written form. After reading a book called Wired for Stories, those two concepts merged in a scary conclusion that the way we use stories is no different from the way we use recreational drugs (by “we” I don’t mean me and you — of course — I mean the world as a whole.)
What Drug Dealers Know That You Don’t
As a 20-year-old living in a dirty industrial town in the UK, I’ve met plenty of drug dealers.
And I’ll have to admit, they’re some of the smartest, most disciplined entrepreneurs I’ve ever met.
Well, they have to be…
Imagine if anyone you interacted with could be the reason why you’ll spend 1–10 years in prison.
Again, I’m not trying to encourage anyone to become a drug dealer, but I find the way they get people hooked fascinating.
A friend of mine explained to me how he got hooked. Let’s call my friend John (not his real name.)
- A friend introduces John to the dealer at a party. The dealer gives him “A lil somethin’” John tries it with his friend.
- While hanging around with the same friend, he meets the dealer on a street corner. The dealer remembers him and they smoke some weed together. The dealer is the nicest person he’s ever met, in fact, he gives John his number and “a lil somethin’”
- John’s having a party with friends, and they want to liven things up a bit. John calls the dealer, who shows up and sells out.
- John’s bored at home one night. Nothing new to watch on Netflix… He calls the dealer. Soon the dealer is parked in front of his apartment. John gets some stuff and goes back to his room. It’s the first time he does it alone.
- John’s girlfriend left him, he needs to take his mind off her, so he calls the dealer, this time he buys more than usual.
- From then on, when John’s bored, depressed and/or lonely, some of the dealer’s stuff helps.
That’s how John got hooked.
Now, I want to blow away the idea, most people have that everyone who does drugs is addicted.
(Again, I repeat so it sticks: I don’t condone the use or sale of drugs)
Usually, people start using drugs to numb some kind of pain. But the pain comes back as soon as the effects wear off, so they want more of the substance and more and more…
Soon what they used to numb the pain becomes the cause of it.
I know I’m taking a weird turn here… But why do people watch Netflix, use social media, read books, listen to music, maturbate, (… and honestly…) use Medium?
All those things affect you mentally while drugs (most of them) affect you physically.
Reading this post is going to change your beliefs. Your beliefs will dictate your thoughts. Your thoughts dictate your actions. Your actions dictate your life.
Whether that ends up as a negative or positive depends on what stories you consume.
The same applies for the use of drugs — which I still don’t condone.
My friends John is as addicted to substances as you are to stories
Is Being Addicted To Stories Better Than Being Addicted To Substances?
I cannot tell you that.
As with most things, it depends.
I think they’re both equally bad — I’ll elaborate on that in a second.
People can consume stories or drugs for different reasons.
Drugs are used in hospitals all the time just like stories are used in schools all time to teach kids.
The problem with anything addicting is when it takes over someone’s life.
A good example of stories/entertainment taking over someone’s life are “hikikomori.”(pronounced ee-kee-koh-mo-ree)
Hikikomori in Japan are men who lock themselves in a room or house for years at the time, spending most of their time buried in their obsessions. Those obsessions usually include video games, comic books and watching TV.
Some hikikomori haven’t left their home for over 10 years and struggle to talk with anyone.
On the other side, I’ve heard of crackheads who’ll do anything to get another hit.
They’ll pretend to be homeless and sit in the rain all day holding a cup, hoping to get enough change to afford more of the substance. It’s not uncommon for people addicted to drugs to steal from their loved ones.
What Have We Done?!
Both the example of the hikikomori and the crackhead are of cases which are hard to fix.
The person addicted to substances will have to go through years of rehab. The hikikomori— if lucky to have a caring family— will force him to take social training courses to bring him back to society.
But how do we fix society’s addiction to stories? How do we fix you?
I’ve thought about this for a while and the answer is kind of depressing: we can’t.
You’ve been subjected to stories since you were a child. New generations are growing with smartphones in their hands and there’s always a video playing on it.
They’re so hooked on stories, they can’t stand 5 minutes just sitting down and doing nothing.
All their free time is dedicated to screen-staring and when they can’t do that, they think about screen staring. And by “They” I’m referring to me and you.
Our addiction is beyond the point of no return.
And, as they say, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em…
The Walter White Principle
I just made that up as a way to justify my highly unethical job.
By telling stories us writers are keeping your addiction alive. I bet right now you can feel this post coming to an end and your addiction still doesn’t feel satiated.
If you just listen, you can hear it whisper… “More… I want more stories…”
To take away the guilt I felt after thinking up the idea that writers are drug dealers, I looked up to Walter White, in the TV show Breaking Bad.
His story is the perfect example of what Niccolò Macchaivelli’s message in his book, The Prince:
The end justifies the means.
Walter White — OR Heisenberg — was selling meth to make sure his family was financially safe after he passed away.
Although he was involved in serious criminal activity, it was for a good reason.
Batman is also a good example: why not bash people’s skulls to a pulp? As, long as it makes Gotham a better place…
I know it’s a cynical approach to my craft but it’s the only way I can deal with my guilt.
If you’re planning on being a writer long term, be aware. The next wave of consumers will be Gen Xrs who grew up consuming stories at least 6 hours a day.
Unless your stories can get and keep their attention, you’re in simple words f****d.
Here’s where I answer your biggest questions before you write them in the comments…
Are you seriously comparing drugs to stories?
Yes. Yes I am.
I know drugs have ruined the lives, relationships and health of many people and I’m very sorry about that. I wish we had more control over the flow of such substances.
But, is binging two seasons of Stranger Things on your couch with 10 empty boxes of pizza on the floor that much better?
Are all stories addicting?
Ask anyone who makes use of recreational drugs, and they’ll tell you quality varies by source. For writers, the quality varies by individual or team behind the story.
As a writer how can I make my stories more addicting?
Focus on two things At ALL TIMES:
- Get attention
- Keep attention
That’s it.
Now, dear writers, stop wasting time.
Go create more drugs, I mean, more stories.
