Haruki Murakami on Why Modern Writers are Weak

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  • Опубликовано: 8 янв 2025

Комментарии • 243

  • @WriteConscious
    @WriteConscious  2 месяца назад

    🚀 Want to WRITE better? Join my free writing school: www.skool.com/writeconscious
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  • @CommenterFromJupiter
    @CommenterFromJupiter 5 месяцев назад +136

    Once in an interview chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer was asked what he does to prepare for a tournament and he said, Well, I go running a lot, I mean you've gotta sit there focused 5-6 hours!

    • @Kubooxooki
      @Kubooxooki 5 месяцев назад +13

      I've actually been translating everything he's saying about fitness and writing into my current attempt to improve at chess---which is the way I'm currently using to stay away from writing 😅

    • @pulpogaraje
      @pulpogaraje 5 месяцев назад +15

      Magnus Carlsen is a testiment to this. One of the championship games with Nepo lasted 7 hours and 45 minutes. It was a drawn game for most of the game, but even after over 120 moves on the board, Magnus immediately saw Nepo's mistake and played on to win.

    • @Kubooxooki
      @Kubooxooki 5 месяцев назад +2

      @@pulpogaraje That was an epic game, indeed!

    • @gizka6816
      @gizka6816 4 месяца назад +4

      @@pulpogaraje I remember watching that game all day at the office, so sick

  • @bertrak7360
    @bertrak7360 5 месяцев назад +198

    No, writers are not putting in as much effort; but that's because there's actually no way for writing to pay off anymore. 35 years ago you could suffer for your art then potentially "make it". Even if you "make it" today, it doesn't pay the bills.

    • @lolingforlols
      @lolingforlols 5 месяцев назад +27

      Maybe you won't get the traditional notoriety like a Stephen King or J.K. Rowling by having a publisher and writing a massive hit, but now there are way more routes to make it than ever before.
      Substack, newsletters, blogs, self-publishing, etc. can offer you a consistent way to pay the bills.

    • @nickpeitchev7763
      @nickpeitchev7763 5 месяцев назад +25

      If you're worried about money you're not a real writer

    • @bertrak7360
      @bertrak7360 5 месяцев назад

      @@lolingforlols substack, newsletters, blogs, podcasts, etc., do not make money. Self-publishing CAN if you have developed a presence on social media or if you hit the jackpot with something viral.

    • @bertrak7360
      @bertrak7360 5 месяцев назад +63

      @@nickpeitchev7763 Excuse me for saying, but this is just false. Sure, there are writers like Cormac M that suffered for decades in poverty before they could eat, but that doesn't mean that other writers are somehow less if they want to live a middle-class life (or usually lower middle-class). Many writers are choosing to have normie jobs to pay the bills while they write in their spare time. Magazines pay a lot less these days. Book advances are like $1000. I mean, even Bukowski worked at the post office before he caught his break and dedicated himself 100% to writing.

    • @nickpeitchev7763
      @nickpeitchev7763 5 месяцев назад +7

      precisely i have a job and write on the side. What do you expect money to fall in your lap? Most writers who are rich and successful took years to get to that point not everyone is an overnight success like Stephen King. You need to focus on your writing the money could come it could not come it's like the Bukowski poem the only reason you should write is when you ahve the fire burning inside you to write.

  • @ca7582
    @ca7582 5 месяцев назад +155

    Dude I'm 30, and I discovered that I wanted to write 3yrs ago. Let me tell you, the 10% thing... totally true in my case. But let me tell you as well: enough is enough

    • @yeti2237
      @yeti2237 5 месяцев назад +1

      Could you explain more

    • @biancastephanie8830
      @biancastephanie8830 5 месяцев назад +3

      I’m 30 and I discovered my gift last year😭. I feel like I wasted so much time

    • @x-11116
      @x-11116 5 месяцев назад

      @@biancastephanie8830 me, when i was 21, now 24 and i think the same 😭

    • @TheSgholyfld
      @TheSgholyfld 5 месяцев назад +5

      ??? What does “enough is enough” mean

    • @patrickcoan3139
      @patrickcoan3139 5 месяцев назад +3

      I'm 40 and this is deep.

  • @gmenezesdea
    @gmenezesdea 4 месяца назад +34

    Brazilian writer Guimarães Rosa once said his writing process was like: I wait until midnight, walk into my office, strip naked, roll on the floor and fight the devil, then I use that built up energy to write."

  • @MercyfulHate
    @MercyfulHate 5 месяцев назад +41

    Reminds me of a Bobby Fischer interview on the Dick Cavett show when he said a chess player needed to stay in shape to sit for five hours in front of a board and keep his concentration the audience laughed.

    • @HO-bndk
      @HO-bndk 4 месяца назад +8

      Then the audience were morons. Many great chess players knew that physical fitness is important. Nigel Short, for example, took up bodybuilding expressly to improve his chess game.

  • @azturazarius-pu8mx
    @azturazarius-pu8mx 5 месяцев назад +43

    Murakami’s best book: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. Hands down.

    • @qstone777
      @qstone777 4 месяца назад

      I agree. One of the examples of fiction authors whose non fiction work I find more enjoyable to read.

  • @losdoslos
    @losdoslos 5 месяцев назад +75

    This is such bs. Just because Murakami is a marathon enthusiast doesn’t mean most writers are. The stereotype exists because it’s true. Plus, most writers write from a place of anxiety about something and that anxiety is fed by a sedentary life.
    Read about most of literature’s greats. They were not physically fit. They went for walks but didn’t go on runs and definitely put on weight.
    Ask yourself: have you ever seen a fit writer? And I mean a great writer not some instapoet.

    • @afonsolucas2219
      @afonsolucas2219 5 месяцев назад +18

      But if you want to be a writer, do you also want to adopt that lifestyle? And if you want to be a great writer, does it have to be necessarily fueled by the anxiety and unhealthy habits they carry? I understand some of the greats did. But there are many others who still have amazing things to say, full of depth, with a good lifestyle.

    • @stratovation1474
      @stratovation1474 5 месяцев назад +6

      Dickens went for long walks. Was probably some flavour of bipolar, probably mypomanic. Many creative people went for long walks in nature. Beethoven Darwin. Not necessarily marathons. Nature recharges. Byron who had a club foot was a swimmer. Sitting at some machine for hours is bad for body and soul. Like the guys on the assembly line who made money and had benefits but their bodies paid a high price... exercise and daydreaming are part of most creative lives. Einstein loved to hike and sail but all that tobacco took its toll... aerobic exercise puts you in the zone. Don't gotta be extreme. Resistance training is important as you get older. That don't gotta be extreme nither... can be fun...

    • @uter
      @uter 4 месяца назад +20

      Improving your health will not make you a worse writer, just as being unhealthy will not make you a better one.

    • @thanglongnguyenvu3815
      @thanglongnguyenvu3815 4 месяца назад +1

      This should be a more well known quote ​@@uter

    • @thanglongnguyenvu3815
      @thanglongnguyenvu3815 4 месяца назад +3

      I half agree with Murakami and half agree with you. You don't have to look bulky or get massive muscles. Simply stand up and exercising a bit could refresh your mind already. Point is, move around, get that adrenaline pumping. Standing up and pacing around the room also helps.

  • @Leitis_Fella
    @Leitis_Fella 5 месяцев назад +22

    This is writing advice that I didn't expect, and honestly, there's truth to it when you spend less than a minute digesting it. I work a 14-14 and have zero excuse to not keep myself in physical shape and discipline myself to pump out words in my copius free time

    • @freeloading_toad
      @freeloading_toad 4 месяца назад

      Good Lord. And I thought 24hr on 48hr off was strenuous. Godspeed y’all oil dudes 🫡

  • @PFR1930
    @PFR1930 5 месяцев назад +42

    I have just started my first novel. I work six hours a day. So why can I only write at night for 30 minutes? I get so anxious and scared that it is impairing my free time. I can't watch movies or read now, because I get consumed by the thought that I should be writing. The writing process can be really tough.

    • @Casper0123
      @Casper0123 5 месяцев назад +10

      Just don’t care about anything . I’m taking short films. Some of them are weird objectively. But I’m old enough to know that people don’t care anyways , so if you wanna do something just better do it.

    • @losdoslos
      @losdoslos 5 месяцев назад +6

      You are doing it how it should be done. Nothing else should matter

    • @PFR1930
      @PFR1930 5 месяцев назад +5

      You guys are right. Better do it than don't do it. Most people are probably not doing it anyway, which puts me in a favourable position in comparison.

    • @templar1111
      @templar1111 5 месяцев назад +6

      After my 9-5, I balance performing enhancing drugs (nootropics) with a workout after my writing session, even if it means melatonin or ashwaganda or something to sleep after (DON'T BECOME A STONER). My day job is a correctional officer so I can't let my strength or health slide. Set aside time to read books you want to write like too. Anything good takes a really long time and lots of re-writing to finish. Posting on tiktok every once in a while helps too, if anything for the short term dopamine while you're on the journey and gives you a sense that what you have to say is what other's want to hear.
      Not published yet. But I'm going to be.

    • @PFR1930
      @PFR1930 5 месяцев назад

      @@templar1111 Wow. Your life and routine seems intense. What are you writing about?

  • @thecaseyleggett
    @thecaseyleggett 5 месяцев назад +66

    I wrote this poem earlier this year:
    Cosmic Fire
    A body frail and a spirit stale
    Between thin legs tucks metaphorical tail
    You thought that mind and lowly flesh
    You could split apart, could surely thresh
    Sinews hang limp and muscles are slack
    A woeful, stooping, piteous lack
    Even now your precious nerves decay
    And still you persist in this asinine way
    Your heart flutters weakly, your fingers ice cold
    If only much sooner you'd loved and been bold
    You've disrespected the instrument given
    From true potential you are now riven
    So heap foolish thoughts, one and all, on the pyre
    Delusions consumed by truth's ravening ire
    For a twisted, cracked, and detuned lyre
    Could never sing with cosmic fire

    • @afonsolucas2219
      @afonsolucas2219 5 месяцев назад +3

      I liked it!

    • @numbersix8919
      @numbersix8919 5 месяцев назад +1

      Are you like into metal?

    • @djtrakakadrunkpoet8598
      @djtrakakadrunkpoet8598 5 месяцев назад +1

      ❤❤❤ snap snap snap

    • @HO-bndk
      @HO-bndk 4 месяца назад

      It doesn't scan, so it's doggerel. 😁

    • @numbersix8919
      @numbersix8919 4 месяца назад

      Not doggerel. A bit overwrought. Written in haste as it seems to be, deserves a rewrite.

  • @horacebones493
    @horacebones493 5 месяцев назад +10

    I did not want to be a novelist, I thought it was lame. I wanted to be a musician, but I realized I like the English word better, since I created lyrics more than melodies. Plus my friends told me I’m better at writing anyway. I do enjoy writing rather than fiddling around on GarageBand tearing my hair out trying to make a song.

    • @neoshenlong
      @neoshenlong 5 месяцев назад +5

      One of the most liberating discoveries I made as an artist was when I realized every art is one and the same, only with different materials. If you enjoy writing more that's perfect! But there's no need to think you need to fit into one or other discipline, it's all creative effort and endeavor. Pick a material and play with it, whether it's words, pictures, colors or sounds. Then find a way to play like that with other materials. You can write novels like you write songs but trust me you can also find a way to compose songs like you write novels :)

  • @anth636
    @anth636 4 месяца назад +6

    I miss when I was in school, because back then writing truly felt like an infinite well of creativity. I could write whatever I wanted whenever I wanted and share it with people. It was a magical feeling.
    Now writing no longer feels lime something done “for fun,” and every time I want to continue, I feel like I’m pressured by strangers online that “I’m not putting in enough effort,” or “You’ll never be good enough.” Where did the magic go?

    • @dionmcgee5610
      @dionmcgee5610 4 месяца назад +3

      Where it's always been- in your mind.
      It's still there. The question is will you continue to allow other people to bring you down.
      As far as video- mental exercise is more important.
      For physical exercise- writers walk and hike.

    • @NicholeRojas-r8i
      @NicholeRojas-r8i 4 месяца назад

      Well... You can't ask to a japanese author about magic, they live in a robot life style hell

    • @idontgetlaidbut
      @idontgetlaidbut 4 месяца назад

      so you thought you were hot shit until you came out into the real world. Tough. Shit. I never get tired of losers crying at the starting line lmao

  • @chelseyummali
    @chelseyummali 5 месяцев назад +8

    I made a dream (bucket list) book when I was 20. One of the dreams was to write a book. Of course at the time and prior I was writing vampire books with the huge influence of Anne Rice and Twilight (yes I was a big fan, who doesn't like vampires!) Multiple unfinished manuscripts later I'm in my mid 30's, 4 kids later and am almost done outlining a new story (not vampire haha) and plan to hand write at least the first draft. Wondering how things will go with all my kids screaming and crying in the background. Fingers crossed haha

    • @afonsolucas2219
      @afonsolucas2219 5 месяцев назад +1

      Good luck to you! Remember to have fun and just get it done. A shitty page can be edited into a great one later on. A blank piece of paper cannot. :)

    • @chelseyummali
      @chelseyummali 5 месяцев назад +1

      @afonsolucas2219 thank you! Yes I am a crazy creative type that obsesses over a project and than stumbles along the way haha. I'm trying to tell myself...take your time...the goal is to finish it, than move from there.

    • @afonsolucas2219
      @afonsolucas2219 5 месяцев назад +1

      @@chelseyummali I relate completely. I'm writing something long form for the first time. I feel I'm halfway there already. I have the same mindset as you though, to take my time... Slow and steady as they say!

    • @chelseyummali
      @chelseyummali 5 месяцев назад

      @afonsolucas2219 I understand this will be NY first long form completion. Crossing my fingers.

    • @afonsolucas2219
      @afonsolucas2219 5 месяцев назад

      @@chelseyummali There’s a long form competition going on?

  • @alexweir1373
    @alexweir1373 5 месяцев назад +11

    Bro. The entire education system tells you to write so someone with an 8th grade education could understand you. I was reading well beyond that at eight years old after learning English in a few months. And I'm not that bright. I just enjoy language.
    Today, laziness in readers and writers is culturally reinforced. You don't want to seem pretentious. You must be pithy. Etc. Etc.
    Pleasing a marketplace is what creates weak writers. The commercial culture that's fixated on minimal viable products and cynical assumptions about readers actually creates dummies.
    As for physical fitness, I've always connected it with creativity and intelligence. Ever since Crichton pointed out in one of his novels that scientists want to be nerds. But Max Plank one of the 20th centuries greatest minds was also an athlete. Doing skiing I believe.

    • @cesarsuarez7538
      @cesarsuarez7538 5 месяцев назад +2

      Santiago Ramón y Cajal, nobel prize and discoverer of neurons, was also very fit.

    • @DanSheffler
      @DanSheffler 4 месяца назад

      100%

  • @harrymckenzie3725
    @harrymckenzie3725 4 месяца назад +2

    Glad to find your channel. Started revising 2 ten year-old manuscripts again, which is difficult because they're really heavy

  • @RoboPulp
    @RoboPulp 4 месяца назад +2

    I love this video. It reminds me of a quote by Frank Frazetta where he said he wasn't what people expected an artist to be. He worked out, he liked to hunt, and this primal attitude showed in his drawings.

  • @jordoom9091
    @jordoom9091 5 месяцев назад +5

    For a long time I haven't been taking my health seriously because I'm just so darn busy in life. All my free time is either spent on my kids or writing/being creative. Some great points are made though. If you want to have a strong mind, you need a strong body. Strong in the sense of healthy. My stress levels have also been so high that when I do write, the quality just isn't as great. So this video has inspired me to take more time out of my busy schedule, even if it is some of my writing time. Hopefully with some exercise, my mind will produce better quality writing and lower those stress levels.

  • @lolingforlols
    @lolingforlols 5 месяцев назад +4

    I feel like you are the literary coach that pushes athletes to achieve their limits and beyond. I'm excited for the writing community, just joined!

  • @toddjacksonpoetry
    @toddjacksonpoetry 5 месяцев назад +10

    We sit way too much. I owe myself a standing desk.

  • @corysutton2284
    @corysutton2284 5 месяцев назад +1

    This does resonate with me. I have learned that just because I have free time doesn’t mean that I’ll make a lot of progress with my writing. When I was laid off over a decade ago, I had copious amounts of free time to finally delve into all my ideas, but because I had this dark cloud looming over me, I couldn’t get myself to focus on any creative projects since I *should be* busy job hunting and figuring out my next moves. I did catch up on some reading during that time, but yeah, I’ve found that even nowadays, I tend to work best when I close these “open loops” by taking care of a few responsibilities and even engaging some socially. Just because you have a whole weekend to yourself doesn’t mean you’re going to be writing full stop. I know I can only go into a crunch mode when I’m far enough along to push through to completion.
    Thanks for sharing, because I think these areas of health need to be given as much emphasis as the craft itself!

  • @hector00000100
    @hector00000100 5 месяцев назад +41

    So is this why George hasn't finished A song of ice and fire.

    • @vajs6312
      @vajs6312 5 месяцев назад +1

      What about Brandon Sanderson? 😂

    • @brunoactis1104
      @brunoactis1104 5 месяцев назад +7

      Nah, the reason is probably that he got rich and famous, but too late in life to postpone to do other things with that money and time. Imagine getting money and fame, but you're like 75, it must suck psychologically.

    • @americansoccerunited
      @americansoccerunited 4 месяца назад

      I was literally thinking this lol

  • @felix4790
    @felix4790 5 месяцев назад +2

    Cool video, and a literary resurgence, hell yeah!
    I really like the angle on closing open loops to bolster one's energy!

  • @lingofearth2786
    @lingofearth2786 4 месяца назад +12

    George R R Martin breaks every one of these early points you have lol

    • @Hungarian_subtext
      @Hungarian_subtext 4 месяца назад +8

      If GRRM could finish a marathon, maybe he could finish ASoIaF.

    • @magicbuns4868
      @magicbuns4868 3 месяца назад +2

      And he hasn't finished his magnus opus, because he can't be bothered.... so Murakami is sounding rather wise.

  • @Fran-mr3yo
    @Fran-mr3yo 3 месяца назад +1

    To say Stephen King is a bad writer is absolutely wild. Its in the same vein of Harold Bloom's snobbery where there isn't any criticism at all, just a disdain, showing ignorance for his work and at the same time the implicit arrogance that you could write even 10% of quality fiction that he has written hundreds of times.

  • @CobraNemesis09
    @CobraNemesis09 4 месяца назад

    You literally just activated me- seriously. Thank you for this video.

  • @genequist3859
    @genequist3859 4 месяца назад

    I'm a professional in the healthcare field. I am also a composer and songwriter. My day job is very demanding, but my creative life is what restores my energy. I also turn my day job into a source from which to draw inspiration.

  • @PoorPersonsBookReviewer
    @PoorPersonsBookReviewer 5 месяцев назад +10

    “You can’t stop google without educating people” , you won me over

  • @kentjensen4504
    @kentjensen4504 5 месяцев назад +2

    Your channel is pure gold.

  • @authordeborahjeanwhite6188
    @authordeborahjeanwhite6188 3 месяца назад

    I’d love you to do videos on paragraphs of writing you love and explain why.

  • @churchillosimbo
    @churchillosimbo 5 месяцев назад +11

    Recently broke up with my girlfriend. We genuinely loved each other, but she grew offended with my need to ‘lock-in’ and be alone sometimes. She always wanted to be with me. I want to be a great artist.
    Tell me I made the right decision, please

    • @po-hsienchu966
      @po-hsienchu966 5 месяцев назад +2

      you deserved a better girl

    • @danielwatson2701
      @danielwatson2701 5 месяцев назад +2

      A good girlfriend recognises and respects boundaries. She obviously didn't. Focus on your work and the women will come to you mate.

    • @krisjustbegun9740
      @krisjustbegun9740 5 месяцев назад +4

      This doesn’t necessarily mean that either of you are bad people only that you are not good for each other. Each of you need someone who understands and can meet the other’s needs and that’s fine. It’s a good thing because then you can each meet the right person who works for both of you.

    • @blah914
      @blah914 5 месяцев назад +4

      no one can tell u if you made the right decision, bc none of us was there. Just take care, many men use art as an excuse to treat women badly. at the end of the day, ppl remember their cruelty and dislike their art because of it.

    • @1simo93521
      @1simo93521 5 месяцев назад

      Yeah she was a boat anchor dragging you down.
      You need a supportive woman who will understand you properly and respect your time.

  • @hian
    @hian 5 месяцев назад +15

    As much as I think there's truth to this in the mundane sense that, obviously, you need to put in the work to get results, I find the comparison the professional athletes unfortunate because real art is not, and should not be seen, as a commercial effort.
    The word "professional" denotes enterprises done for profit. Art, on the other hand, should be made because artists and would-be artists have something on their chest, in their head, in their heart, that they want to realize regardless whether it make them money, fame, or anything else.
    A true artist lives for the art, content to make it whether or not it's ever seen by anyone or earns them a penny, because they love the process and the creation itself, seeing it as valuable in and of itself.
    Hence, the idea that writers should be putting in effort in a way that's equivalent to professionals of any occupation strikes me as fundamentally confused-not because effort isn't important, but because there's a huge distinction between putting in effort, and putting in effort to succeed in a professional sense.
    You can do all the market research you want, write 8 hours a day following feedback from focus readers, and do research in the library til your eyes bleed, but if what you're making comes from a place of "let's make something that is commercially successful and allows me to become a professional writer," rather than writing from the heart, following a vision that you fully believe in, then while you are undoubtedly a writer, you are not an artist. You are merely a merchant of words, and honestly, I don't think that's going to add much of merit to the world of literature, nor do I see it as something to aspire to.
    I'd rather be a person who spends 10 years chipping away at a book that will never sell or be published if it's material and thoughts I believe in and love without reservation, than pump out yearly best-sellers if they're all Frankensteinian mass-appeal pulp made downstream from a series of utilitarian concerns the same way we pursue success in sports or commerce.
    All that being said, much of Murakami's advice is solid regardless the reason you're writing.

    • @tianawithaj
      @tianawithaj 5 месяцев назад +1

      Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art is a great piece of work that does a great job of explaining how the artist is a professional - but exactly in the sense of putting in the time and dedication to their craft in order to get it done (it’s a lot about how to not procrastinate as an artist and get your sh** done)

    • @AMVhuntingSyndrom
      @AMVhuntingSyndrom 5 месяцев назад

      "Merchant of words" - beautiful.

    • @southoceann
      @southoceann 5 месяцев назад

      Yes, writing is an art form but all artists need a lot of practice to hone their craft. Some writers start out with wonderful stories, but their lack of skill stands between them and truly great books. Some others have all the skills necessary, but nothing worthwhile to write about. In general, most writers have no idea what they are doing. Hence the point of taking it seriously like a pro athlete.

    • @hian
      @hian 5 месяцев назад +3

      @@southoceann
      Hence the caveat which I provided twice over, that effort is clearly important. However, people putting effort into their crafts isn't unique to professionals, and the word "professional" was literally made to describe skills applied as *professions*, not to describe amount of effort applied to a craft. After all, a lazy professional is still a professional. The distinction between a professional musician and a regular one isn't effort, it's whether they get paid for their music or not, hence why the comparison is unfortunate insofar creating something to get paid for it often does not imply special effort, nor artistic insight or integrity. Rather, it implies the extent to which you understand markets, marketing, and commercial mechanics, all of which you could understand while still being a low-rent artist.
      Take the Japanese media and publishing industry, which I spent over a decade working in:
      A lot of the most sold and commercially successful books in Japan are utter derivative trash, written by people whose understanding of the craft is tenuous, and whose efforts are mediocre. However, in catching trends, following formulas, and with a decent editor, pulp light-novels become both popular and profitable.
      This isn't unique to Japan either. Look at the current state of fantasy/sci fi, booktok and the rise of romantacy books like Lightlark or The Fourth Wing etc.
      Those authors and their works are, by definition, professional, but is that anything to aspire to if you're serious about literature and the arts?
      I would hope not.

    • @southoceann
      @southoceann 5 месяцев назад +1

      @@hian Sure, I'm not opposed to your disagreement on treating writing as a profession. But I would like to emphasize that pro athletes are not like other professions. Why? The standards increase constantly so they always have to up their game. For example, see Olympics figure skating now vs then. This drive to be the best and win gold is not purely driven by financial incentives.
      That said, I think we can agree with the most generous interpretation of his advice: write everyday as much as you can. Staying fit and exercising surely improves self-discipline, although I disagree that his way is the best way - it's rather anecdotal.

  • @SomeGuy-cw9rw
    @SomeGuy-cw9rw 4 месяца назад +1

    Haruki Murakami is one of my favorite authors.

  • @melissad9470
    @melissad9470 4 месяца назад +1

    Im glad you said Steven king isn’t a great writer- I know it’s an unpopular opinion- but I totally agree. lol.

  • @demitriruttle2184
    @demitriruttle2184 5 месяцев назад +10

    Steven king isn’t even a good writer? Probably a better way to share that opinion that doesn’t make you seem like a dick rider for Murakami. even if you don’t like his writing style he’s one of the most influential American authors.

    • @magicbuns4868
      @magicbuns4868 3 месяца назад

      @DagmarRokita667 He has a following because plenty of readers like his stories, and he manages to finish them.

  • @kenneth1767
    @kenneth1767 5 месяцев назад +7

    Most wannabe writers live in luxury: roof over their head, three meals a day, different change of clothes every day...
    Go live under a bridge. Cycle across a continent, practise complete silence for 40 days, build a shelter in the forest and live there for 30 days without electronics, etc.
    Something worthwhile will come from the depths of your soul. Worth sharing.

  • @Joelsays27
    @Joelsays27 4 месяца назад

    Bruh this video is gold. You are gold.

  • @Sophia-jo8tv
    @Sophia-jo8tv 5 месяцев назад

    Thank you so much for sharing this and taking the time to do so!
    Also, your students watching this: >:'((

  • @AshleyGraetz
    @AshleyGraetz 5 месяцев назад +6

    Started writing 2005 finished the book 2024. So yeh mission accomplished fuck selling. Haruki Murakami is high functioning artist of writing. His best book Norwegian Wood (semi autobiographical allegedly based on Thomas Mann magic mountain). After that it was just cleverness.

  • @segaboy9894
    @segaboy9894 5 месяцев назад +2

    I am a distance runner, and I advocate for aerobic activity. However, I read Murakami's running book and it was the most boring thing ever. Which Murakami novel should I start with if I want to see what he's all about? My guess is IQ84?

    • @felix4790
      @felix4790 5 месяцев назад

      I know what you mean about Murakami's running book. Thankfully, I still enjoyed elements of it, but it was the 8th and latest Murakami book I read and can imagine how dull it could come across if it was someone's first experience with HM..
      If you are into magical realism, try reading Kafka on the Shore; it was my first Murakami book and I really enjoyed it.

  • @adriansigler9197
    @adriansigler9197 5 месяцев назад +5

    Lmao @ the Octavia butler snippet. But yeah Rilke has shaped my life like no other writer. I’ve read letters to a young poet way too many times. I even had a routine for a few years where I would reread one of its letters daily. But also his other collected letters are gold.

    • @WriteConscious
      @WriteConscious  5 месяцев назад +1

      Tremendous! I am having my students read Letters to a Young Poet this year. Very excited to see how that goes!

  • @EricKay_Scifi
    @EricKay_Scifi 5 месяцев назад +3

    I just did twenty pushups, there are you happy?

    • @A.M.T.E
      @A.M.T.E 4 месяца назад +1

      Keep it up ❤

  • @achunaryan3418
    @achunaryan3418 16 часов назад

    He is a modern writer. So start with him.

  • @sms3cb
    @sms3cb 5 месяцев назад

    Yo I don’t usually comment. But keep up that energy, it’s what aspiring authors need to hear…… at least it’s what i needed to hear

  • @matejaeja7350
    @matejaeja7350 5 месяцев назад +1

    Most people who read books want to be writers... Is that true? Could we get a questionnaire or something?

  • @giovannimartin3239
    @giovannimartin3239 5 месяцев назад +4

    Being physically undeveloped is the same as being intellectually undeveloped. Mind and body are one instrument. Physical vitality impacts how you think.

    • @giovannimartin3239
      @giovannimartin3239 5 месяцев назад

      @@laze4534 I’m gonna help you out here. Imagine if I said, the average age for a kid to go to college was around 16-18 and you replied “Jimmy Neutron, age 7 graduated with his masters degree 🤓”

    • @depotemkin
      @depotemkin 5 месяцев назад

      ​@@laze4534good example

  • @mar.prz10
    @mar.prz10 5 месяцев назад +1

    I lol’d at the “Andrew Huberman protocols” 🤣 Ngl they’re useful advice like getting sunlight at all costs. Writers in the basement, arise, open your shutters and feel the sun on your face 😅 (was guilty of the shutters thing).

  • @deviantfish2711
    @deviantfish2711 4 месяца назад

    I feel like artistic icons like Cobain, members of the 27 club, Hunter S Thompson and DFW, etc, have injected a somewhat toxic manic ideal amongst the creative class. I get it, many great artists are manic, and it is hard to find that consistency in discipline. Most art occurrs in uncoordinated bursts of creative flow, quite the opposite of skilled athletics.

  • @jacobp2690
    @jacobp2690 5 месяцев назад +2

    There is an observation made in this video, "You need to have a healthy body to have a healthy mind" however, you also need to have a healthy mind to have a healthy body.
    The way, you as the presenter, are presenting your own thoughts alongside the critiques of this author, "Every writer I ever met was lazy" like holy shit guy does that include you, or maybe that is just only you; a projection from some unhealthy mind masquerading.
    Like even just the way you talk about other people, first thing that crossed my mind, "How long till this guy is saying negative shit about me or anybody else if the bar is what he's been able to glean in passing"
    Yes, this author had great insights, pairing them alongside your own is laughable

  • @Liv-ie4xl
    @Liv-ie4xl 4 месяца назад

    You are right about physical fitness. A great body makes a great mind. Think about all the thinkers and scientists in the past, the polymaths. One of the 4 core hobbies that they had was smth with physical fitness. Besides everyone of us want to write, but how can we write when we are sick and ill? Pushing through-mindset is unhealthy (just to mention it)

  • @brunoactis1104
    @brunoactis1104 5 месяцев назад +1

    Honestly the fitness part is good to enforce, but absolutely ridiculous as a rule that most great writers apply to.

  • @kevinreily2529
    @kevinreily2529 5 месяцев назад

    Your ex GF was like Zelda, who held Fitzgerald back for years and took him drinking whenever he felt like writing.
    About Murakami. I live in Asia now, visit Japan frequently, and there is a bookstore owner in Tokyo, who has a Murakami shrine. He leads tours of all the locations in Murakami's books. You need to visit Japan, it is a trip.

  • @federicopalacios7439
    @federicopalacios7439 Месяц назад

    Taking advice from Murakami is like taking advice from Paulo Coelho

  • @x-11116
    @x-11116 5 месяцев назад +9

    tldw; writers, babes, you need to excercise!

    • @WriteConscious
      @WriteConscious  5 месяцев назад +2

      This is Ian's workout plan
      ruclips.net/video/ylT16QB6Uig/видео.html

    • @x-11116
      @x-11116 5 месяцев назад

      @@WriteConscious thanks man, i needed this video, tbrh

  • @Midas-gd8fv
    @Midas-gd8fv 5 месяцев назад

    Murakami once had health issues so he started running (marathon). So, he knows the differences.

  • @andrewbuchanan5342
    @andrewbuchanan5342 4 месяца назад

    can you put links in for where murakami is actually talking pls

  • @anciantnagha
    @anciantnagha 5 месяцев назад

    Ok, a real question. I have 5hrs a day of free time apart from studying, teaching and sports. I can give 1 hour to writing for now(till I get a job) idk what to focus on. Writing the actual story or honing the skills before I write them. The more videos on writing I watch, the more I realise how much silly mistakes I do. I don't wanna stop reading stories along with writing because reading is a huge part of my life, so I can give at most 2 hours to writing.(And that's on the most mentally focused day) Idk what to focus on first. Learning to write or writing.

    • @WriteConscious
      @WriteConscious  5 месяцев назад +1

      I would say write poetry. You can get a lot done in an hour and still work on some of major skills

    • @anciantnagha
      @anciantnagha 5 месяцев назад

      @@WriteConscious
      Sounds like a good idea. I've written like 4 poems in my entire lifetime. But trying something new can be fun

  • @adavis5926
    @adavis5926 5 месяцев назад +1

    Define irony: Athletic writer working his ass off so that he can sell his books to couch potatoes.

  • @himwiththehair8118
    @himwiththehair8118 5 месяцев назад

    Preach, definitely need to take care of myself more

  • @ashcomics13
    @ashcomics13 4 месяца назад

    Long ago mankind lived amongst creatures you would only find in folklores myths and legends but that was far too long ago in the aftermath of an unfathomable Calamity Humanity lost it's soul and fell into a deep sleep closing the doors of perception on them for ages to come as time left on Words and Technology evolved a new world was born From the Ashes of the old where people began to dismiss those mystical creatures of their ancient past as mere fairy tales and thus a new fragile balance between man and myth was created until something with enough destructive for slips through the cracks and threatens that fragile balance however high above the clouds and just below the heavens exist a top secret organization South secretive that no one even knows their true name who saw preference is the preservation of this new world Our Story begins here

  • @treadmillgaming5963
    @treadmillgaming5963 5 месяцев назад

    Doing that I do think that philosophically, labor conquers all things, but ultimately we have to acknowledge that effort is not necessarily proportionate to success, and working harder, will not necessarily improve the sales of any particular book.
    But you should work harder, I think the reason just shouldn't be for success otherwise you are hinging your hard work upon success.

  • @user-mz1wm
    @user-mz1wm 5 месяцев назад

    You mention writing blogs. Does anyone have links to blogs?

  • @mattQa
    @mattQa 5 месяцев назад +2

    And I was wondering how this man was doing so much in a short span of time. Sooner or later will pay out.

  • @GroupConglomerate
    @GroupConglomerate 4 месяца назад

    What's a book? 😅

  • @summonedbyamnesia
    @summonedbyamnesia 5 месяцев назад

    I wonder, how much of a reader must you be to become a writer at one point?

  • @mjolninja9358
    @mjolninja9358 5 месяцев назад

    I do muay thai mostly twice a week, I might have to treat writing like a fight camp

  • @atleastwetried7587
    @atleastwetried7587 4 месяца назад +1

    Obviously they have never read Logafjoll or Hamingje.

  • @chelseyummali
    @chelseyummali 5 месяцев назад

    haha Ive had 5 or 6 business, lost thousands...I hate marketing...I get shy to share my writing because im always concerned I either wont follow through or that people wont like my new content...I have a youtube channel....i used to have a large following but left it years ago because i felt too out there... Too accessible....people were super noisy and it started to make me feel uncomfortable. Ive made hundreds of videos private...I just play around in Instagram now.

  • @Hagen-s7y
    @Hagen-s7y 5 месяцев назад

    It's all about striking a balance.

    • @winstonsol8713
      @winstonsol8713 4 месяца назад

      Vapid nonsense. “Balance” is a word used by people who want to sound insightful without saying anything of substance. WHAT should be “balanced”? Should I balance poison with carbohydrates? Cheating with monogamy? Daydreaming with actual writing?
      The appearance of balance is a product of lived principles. Saying you should pursue “balance” is identical to saying you should be “healthy” or “alive.” Well…obviously. But “balance” is not a principle, it’s a product. Health is produced by the practice of virtue: industriousness, gratefulness, orderliness, purposefulness, diligence, goal-orientaion, tenacity, discipline, charitability… You can’t just approach a man who practices very little virtue and tell him to be more “balanced.” He’ll readily agree with you and then go right back to the same bad habits. You have to identify the habits. Literally everybody agrees about “balance,” but the people who succeed are the people who practice virtues. They think about virtues, they imagine what those virtues look like in practice…and then they practice.
      Enough with the starbucks soccer mom wisdom, unless your plan is to join the ranks of the unproductive masses who cope with failure by pretending to offer sage wisdom. Balance is hot air.

  • @dozeofaudio
    @dozeofaudio 2 месяца назад

    The only indication of a weak writer is telling others the characteristics that define a weak writer. Sorry bud but unless you change that mentality you won’t ever make it as a writer

  • @coreysilence2141
    @coreysilence2141 4 месяца назад

    I'm 20 mins into the video and I'm pretty sure if modern writers were to develop their craft then they could just read the first pages of Stephen King, James Patterson, or J.K. Rowling to duplicate the writing formula in their own words.

  • @southoceann
    @southoceann 5 месяцев назад +3

    Murakami has sold himself out and taken writing as a profession instead of an artform. I gave him a couple of chances but his magical realism is so lacking in meaning that it becomes just another medium for escapism. I have much better options to escape reality than his vague mysteries that go nowhere. The only nagging question I have reading his books is: When will this beautiful nonsense end?

  • @samlazar1053
    @samlazar1053 3 месяца назад

    I wrote a book about nonsense and poof....No .It doesn't work that way.
    In fact the emergence of Russian literally tradition is regarded as a miracle here in Europe..
    To be a great Writer u need to have a calm Mind.
    Hyper emotional and Stress are the worst things.Thats why writers isolate themselves when they write

  • @LordTravisBruh
    @LordTravisBruh 5 месяцев назад

    Work out, run, write, and make money in a way you enjoy

  • @ahmadelalayli8042
    @ahmadelalayli8042 14 дней назад

    You need to be physically fit to write great fiction
    *George R.R. Martin has entered the chat*

  • @PauloSantosk
    @PauloSantosk 5 месяцев назад

    You should read Ukio Mishima, Sun And Steel.

  • @codaseitcham4818
    @codaseitcham4818 4 месяца назад +4

    Sorry friend.
    I’m an artist.
    I ain’t nobody’s work horse.

  • @joshuafisher4241
    @joshuafisher4241 5 месяцев назад +3

    Stephen King not a good writer?!

    • @afonsolucas2219
      @afonsolucas2219 5 месяцев назад +2

      He's got some bad books but I'd consider him a good writer. I like his prose but I guess some people don't. It's all a matter of opinion.

  • @AnthonyMetivierMMM
    @AnthonyMetivierMMM 5 месяцев назад +1

    Just finished Novelist as a Vocation as it happens. Really good book and great discussion - thanks.
    I literally have to have bell too... but one that tells me to stop working.
    Editing is the real challenge for me, though... most of my books go through multiple drafts... my last novel went through 22 versions and I'm on V6 of the current WIP. It's the most challenging book yet because the sequel has to make you completely rethink the previous one and set the stage for the grand finale in part three...
    An especially big challenge because I'm going to tell the reader how the series ends at the conclusion of part II and do my best to make them still want to read the final installment.
    As for videos, I've redone many videos in my 700+ history of making them. Almost always, the redone version is better... which I seem to remember Murakami mentioning happening with a chapter in one of his books.

  • @Legendary_Detective-Wobbuffet
    @Legendary_Detective-Wobbuffet 5 месяцев назад

    William Shattnering champ here.

  • @robynmarler1951
    @robynmarler1951 4 месяца назад

    I take it you're a bit of a fan.
    I read one of his and I hated it, but the story about the monkeys of the shitty island was funny.

  • @hdcbpxsytahdcbpx
    @hdcbpxsytahdcbpx 5 месяцев назад +1

    love tha outer dark shirt

  • @kentjensen4504
    @kentjensen4504 5 месяцев назад

    I look up to you so much, so I feel a bit insecure when you say Stephen King is not even a good writer.

  • @aspookyfox
    @aspookyfox 5 месяцев назад

    Millennia is plural

  • @professorvannostrand1523
    @professorvannostrand1523 3 месяца назад

    Haruki? Girl's name

  • @robertparsons313
    @robertparsons313 4 месяца назад

    Many classic songs were written by men in their twenties.

  • @someonethatwatchesyoutube2953
    @someonethatwatchesyoutube2953 5 месяцев назад +1

    Prolly cause you don’t even lift bro!

  • @discoveringthei
    @discoveringthei 5 месяцев назад

    I don't agree with all your videos. But damn if you don't post some of the best writer content on the web.

  • @twoface4458
    @twoface4458 5 месяцев назад +1

    Crazy hair!!!

  • @QueensWino
    @QueensWino 5 месяцев назад

    There's such a thing as too much Woo? Who knew?🤣

  • @axiomaticclarity324
    @axiomaticclarity324 4 месяца назад

    Who cares what Haruki Murakami says?

  • @DejanOfRadic
    @DejanOfRadic 5 месяцев назад

    The Evangelist of contemporary literature lol

  • @gregorijs-ux7hb
    @gregorijs-ux7hb 5 месяцев назад

    same goes for chess

  • @temacc
    @temacc 3 месяца назад

    Points for cowboys hate

  • @Ponitypon
    @Ponitypon 4 месяца назад

  • @paulflores7322
    @paulflores7322 5 месяцев назад

    His plan is to become an incel?

  • @thecrazygamertarun5265
    @thecrazygamertarun5265 4 месяца назад

    This guy is giving advice 😂?? The same guy who couldn't ever write women properly if his life depended on it

  • @damiangustavorepetto6377
    @damiangustavorepetto6377 5 месяцев назад

    Su último libro es bastante choto.

  • @NicholeRojas-r8i
    @NicholeRojas-r8i 4 месяца назад

    You mean English speaking writers? Any culture writers?... Murakami is not that great though. Take a look at how 100 years of solitude was written

  • @gutenbird
    @gutenbird 3 месяца назад

    Stephen King isn’t even good? Wow. So it’s hopeless for anyone watching your channel.

    • @WriteConscious
      @WriteConscious  3 месяца назад +1

      I should say a lot of his later works aren't good. Need to say he isn't good anymore