Why I Wrote Wine Not?

Nearly everyone has a point in their life when they discover alcohol and run wild with it. Wine Not? is loosely based on mine. It’s a collection of poems about a night out getting drunk and having fun. The main character, who remains nameless, has a great time drinking, being merry and forgetting his cares. The alcohol he consumes makes him feel excited, unfettered and energetic. 

Most people have a period (or two or more!) in their life when they indulge in the effects that alcohol has on them. They have frequent nights out and whenever they’re out, they’re keen to have multiple drinks so they’ll reach that vaunted state of drunkenness. 

Before university, I had only drunk alcohol a handful of times. I was keen to explore drinking more during my first year and make the most of being able to get drunk a lot. So, that’s exactly what I did. I didn’t overdo things, but I certainly enjoyed myself and had my fair share of drunken nights out.

I wrote Wine Not? because I wanted to look back on that time of my life. During that first year of uni, I actually wrote something that was similar to Wine Not? in a way. It was a collection of poems about the feeling of being drunk. These poems sit gathering digital dust on my computer for many years because I didn’t do anything with them. 

Last year when I was thinking of something to write, I remembered how much I enjoyed writing these poems. I couldn’t find them again - this was several laptops ago and they’d got lost somewhere along the way - so I decided to write something similar.

Wine Not?

Wine Not? is a collection of 15 poems about the drunken state that alcohol can leave you in. It follows a nameless character as he goes on a night out and has lots of drinks.

He likens alcohol to rocket fuel and loves the effect it has on him. He’s at a point in his life where he can knock back a fair amount of drink without it the consequences being too severe. There’s a hangover the following day, but it’s not the worst.

Why Call It Wine Not?

The answer to this question is simple. The main character is easily persuaded to have another drink and has a somewhat carefree attitude when it comes to drinking. He drinks wine of course but there are plenty of other drinks he’ll happily imbibe on a night out. I spelled it the way it is and not Why Not? because I couldn’t resist the opportunity to make a play on words.

The title reflects the character’s laidback approach to drinking. He knows it’s a fun activity that doesn’t have any negative consequences for him. He’s at the point in his life where he can go out, have lots of drinks and that’s that. It’s all about making the most of being able to do this and drink lots without it having too much of an effect on the body.

Will There Be a Second Instalment?

There may be at some point. Wine Not Have One More? is the working title for a potential second instalment. But, I’m not sure what it would be about. It would either be more of the same, i.e. poems about the fun side of drinking. Another option I’m considering is to make it more serious and perhaps focus on the consequences of drinking too much alcohol. 

A second instalment isn’t high on my list of things to do. I don’t have ideas for any poems right now. If I can decide on a direction for the e-book and I’m able to write enough poems, I’ll set about writing a second instalment and putting it out there.

Read Wine Not? If You Haven’t Already

If you want to read some poems about alcohol and getting drunk, download Wine Not? now. Join the main character as he embarks on a night out and drinks plenty of rocket fuel to keep himself going. 

Wine Not? - Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, Kobo

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