Charles Bukowski - So You Want to be a Writer? lyrics

if it doesn't come bursting out of you in spite of everything don't do it unless it comes unasked out of your heart and your mind and your mouth and your gut don't do it if you have to sit for hours staring at your computer screen or hunched over your typewriter searching for words don't do it if you're doing it for money or fame don't do it if you're doing it because you want women in your bed don't do it if you have to sit there and rewrite it again and again don't do it if it's hard work just thinking about doing it don't do it if you're trying to write like somebody else forget about it if you have to wait for it to roar out of you then wait patiently if it never does roar out of you do something else if you first have to read it to your wife or your girlfriend or your boyfriend or your parents or to anybody at all you're not ready don't be like so many writers don't be like so many thousands of people who call themselves writers don't be dull and boring and pretentious, don't be consumed with self- love the libraries of the world have yawned themselves to sleep over your kind don't add to that don't do it unless it comes out of your soul like a rocket unless being still would drive you to madness or suicide or murder don't do it unless the sun inside you is burning your gut don't do it when it is truly time and if you have been chosen it will do it by itself and it will keep on doing it until you die or it dies in you there is no other way and there never was