Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for October 17, 2023

Most writers self-loathe while procrastinating. It’s their version of multitasking.

The write stuff

Actually, writing doesn’t take much time at all, as long as you don’t care about writing anything good. Just look at all the autobiographies and political books that fill up bookstores.

Script written by a writer.

― Dorothy Parker

They put off the self loathing part by indulging in the procrastination of it.

Writing is the easy part. Drawing the comics is tough.

Although, I usually get them the way I want them on the first try.

Well Rat, like one writer once said, IT’S CALLED WRITING!

I dunno. Half a lifetime doesn’t seem like enough for procrastination.

It would give Rat more time for drinking while writing.

Rat just wants to be a writer because he heard someone say, “Write drunk. Edit sober.” He doesn’t know what “edit” means and doesn’t care — after all, he only wants to be a writer.

Somehow, “Writings of a Rat” doesn’t have the sound of a bestseller!

Today’s words of wisdom from Professor Rat!

Fear and Self Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, or the song by Van Morrison

Rat also thinks they get to play with Legos all day because he’s heard a lot about writers’ blocks.

…and I want to be a paperback writer….

Oh, procrastination… I’ll finish this comment later.

I went to the meet and greet last night and boy, did I learn so much about Stephan. For one thing, he used to a lawyer and the creator of Family Circus loved the jabs he made at his strip. Plus, the reason he backed out of that cancelled Pearls movie is because he wasn’t allowed creative control. That’s a man who is dedicated to his passion.

In 23 years of writing articles I kinda like three of mine…

When I was a coder, we had a saying: “Anyone can write software. The problem is, anyone does.”

I’ve spent about half my waking life at work anyway, and although my work hasn’t been at all bad, it was never something I wanted to do for its own sake.

There must be an app for that writing stuff by now

Many writers can multitask: they can do writing, procrastinating, and self-loathing all at the same time.

OR LIKE THIS COMIC STRIP. i mean for some, it comes easy . right Stephan

Half your waking life is 8 hours. MOST people spend half of their waking lives working at something much less interesting than writing.

If they were in Nevada maybe they could go for Fear and Self Loathing in Las Vegas however, The Count thinks there is no such risk of Self Loathing for Our Dearest ❤️ Rat. We all ❤️ Rat.

Today’s strip may not be the best example, but lately there seems to be a few “Rat and Goat” dialogs that could have just as easily been Pig. Is Rat goin’ soft!?

That’s not writing, that’s typing. Truman Capote

Just another way of spreading their propaganda.

Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after.

Hurray, Stephan is out of jail.

Professional writer here. Self-loathing is part of the editing process.

Write what you know, then have it spell checked.

I love procrastinating so much that I always put it off till the day after tomorrow.

They hit themselves in the head with a writer’s block till their appointed muse arrives.

Hemingway was a champion self-loather

My wife used to tell her students that you never stop editing. You just run out of time.

Rat will just learn to multitask.

as someone famous once said, “being a writer is like having homework for the rest of your life.”

Some professional writers say they allot just four hours per day for focussed writing. That leaves plenty of time for “a Life” outside of writing, and without self-loathing, Rat….

I can relate to this one. I’ve written for fun for years, and though the process is slow, the end result can be so rewarding. Keep it up, scribes.

I know at least some writers seem to be able to multi-task on the writing and self-loathing.