"You learn to write through practice, through writing, over and over, again and again. All those legions of apprentice writers out there would, I’m sure, wish it were different—how much easier simply to express your innate genius in finished form without having to bother with all that odious work. And all that reading. And the endless rewrites." T.C. BOYLE
This quote has words that I always need to hear. I have this misconception in my head that to be a writer, everything I write should be good. This obviously stems from perfectionism and is a false belief that many could-be authors tend to believe. It's hard to think of your favorite book or piece of writing as being a final product that took many, many revisions to accomplish. Good writing takes hard work, and some pieces will never see the light of day. It's all about getting your thoughts out on paper and not worrying about whether or not this will be The Piece that gets published or shared. Good writing is the result of "bad" writing and practice. That's so important to remember.
"Sometimes people ask, does writing make you happy? But I think that’s beside the point. It makes you agitated, and continually in a state where you’re off balance. You seldom feel serene or settled. You’re like the person in the fairy tale The Red Shoes; you’ve just got to dance and dance, you’re never in equilibrium. I don’t think writing makes you happy…. I think it makes for a life that by its very nature has to be unstable, and if it ever became stable, you’d be finished." HILARY MANTEL
While I'm not sure I completely agree with the latter half of this quote, it did resonate with me. I have been worried for a while that writing doesn't necessarily make me happy, so should I be writing? But then I realized that no, maybe it doesn't make me happy, but it is something that I feel like I don't really have a choice about. Writing feels like a requirement to me, as if something is forcing me to do it. It fulfills me in the end, and that's more important to me than it making me happy.
"Bit by bit, putting it together.... Piece by piece, only way to make a work of art. Every moment makes a contribution, Every little detail plays a part. Having just the vision's no solution, Everything depends on execution, Putting it together, that's what counts." STEPHEN SONDHEIM
This quote is great for those of us who don't feel like baby steps are doing much, but feel that big steps are too much pressure. It's okay to take small steps and only write for a couple of minutes a day. That's better than nothing and still helps you work towards an overall goal.
"I would say to young playwrights, especially, don’t worry so much about the story. There are no original stories. All the stories have been told in one form or another. The only thing that makes a successful play is the delineation of character. Be sure you write good parts. Interesting, dramatic, amusing, romantic — it’s the characters that make the play." GARSON KANIN
Often when thinking of a story idea I realize it's too close to another plot I've read. This quote is a wonderful reminder that yes, most story ideas are taken. But that's not what is important. What's important and unique is how you tell the story and how you develop the characters in it.
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Image information: Writing from Pixabay
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