Day #31 Quotes for Writers

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” Richard Bach

This is the quote that I keep ever in front of me on my office desk. It’s a reminder to simply keep writing and never give up on my dreams.
Every writer is an amateur at first.
No writer is born a professional.
It takes time, practice, persistence, and patience.
If you’re reading this or if you have read this series, you are well on your way to becoming a professional writer. You are taking time to learn more about your craft.
Now continue to practice it.
That’s how you become a professional writer.
It’s not chance or luck.
You just have to stick with it.
That’s all.

Green traffic light image courtesy of fabrisalvetti on flickr

Day #30 Quotes for Writers

“It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous.” Robert Benchley

Talent is no longer a prerequisite for becoming a famous author. I find that very sad, but it’s the way of the world.
But that’s not the greatest trouble when it comes to writing talent.
The biggest problem is that so many great writers don’t believe in their own ability.
So they do nothing.
I’m convinced that if more people attempted to get their writing published, we would soon discover that most of what is out there now is rubbish and true treasures would be found.
Talent is not the only measure of writing success.
What you choose to do with it is the other half of the equation.

 Image of man typing by TheGiantVermin on flickr

Day #29 Quotes for Writers

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”  Samuel Beckett

Just don’t quit!
That’s the message.
We learn something from every experience we encounter, whether success or failure.
Failure should never be the stop sign that makes us quit writing.
Failure is only an unsuccessful success.
Keep writing. . . no matter what.


Image by stevendepolo on flickr

Day #28 Quotes for Writers

“When a book leaves your hands, it belongs to God. He may use it to save a few souls or to try a few others, but I think that for the writer to worry is to take over God’s business.” Flannery O’Connor

It’s wise to remember that our job is to write. We are to put in writing the words we are given. That is all.
What happens to our writing once we’ve obeyed is up to God.
Maybe it will be published and affect millions of lives.
Maybe it will be published and affect a few key people.
Maybe it’s just for us.
It is not for us to take on the care of what happens once a work leaves our hands. It’s not for us to worry whether it is received with accolades or criticism.
Our only job is to obey and write.

Day #27 Quotes for Writers

“Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he’ll eventually make some kind of career of himself as a writer.” Ray Bradbury

The same principle applies to anything. If you stay with it and consistently practice, you can succeed at anything.
You may never be a best-selling author, but you can make writing your career.
Just as you would learn any other trade or skilled job, you can learn to write and be published.
The question is- Are you willing to stick with it until you succeed?
Click the button to read more in the series 31 Days of Quotes for Writers.

Image of boy at laptop keyboard courtesy of Morten Liebach on flickr

Day #23 Quotes for Writers

“Easy reading is damn hard writing.” Nathaniel Hawthorne

Those books we all love, the ones that we can hardly put down because they are so compelling, those are the ones that didn’t come easy for the writer.
If we become totally engrossed to the point that we feel as though we are the character experiencing everything that’s happening, it’s because a skillful writer labored hours to take us there.
The writing that is so natural that it absorbs us into it—that’s the stuff that drew sweat and blood from the writer. It’s the reason he has high blood pressure and can’t sleep at night.
Writing isn’t easy.
Writing well is just plain hard.
Click the button to read more in the 31 Days of Quotes for Writers series.

Image of girl reading by adwriter on flickr

Day #18 Quotes for Writers

“Your manuscript is both good and original, but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good.” Samuel Johnson

This reminds me so much of the feedback editors give.
“Your submission would be good, except that it isn’t.”
Now, that’s helpful!
Sometimes you just have to laugh and not take yourself or this writing business too seriously.

Smirking image courtesy of diaconelli on flickr

Day #16 Quotes for Writers

“ The profession of book writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business.” John Steinbeck

The world of writing books has so many unknowns.
Will I finish it?
Will it get published?
Will I be a one book wonder?
Will the critics like it?
What will I be paid?
Will it sell?
How can I ever write another one?
Can I even do this?
Surely, God, you must have the wrong person.
Shall we say it’s a walk of faith from start to finish?
To read more in the series 31 Days of Quotes for Writers, click on the button.


Horse racing image by Paolo Camera on flickr

Day #14 Quotes for Writers

“I enjoy writing but I much prefer the experience of having written.” Fareed Zakaria

Isn’t that the truth?
Writing is wonderful, but having written already is even better.
I love the feeling I have when I’ve just completed a major writing project. I’m spent, emptied, yet satisfied. I feel accomplished, yet light.
Even on days when I haven’t written anything big, I’ve just written anything at all, I still feel like I’ve put in a good day’s work.
To know that I have written is enough.
To read more in the 31 Days of Quotes for Writers series, click the button.


Image courtesy of ashley rose on flickr

Day #11 Quotes for Writers

“You don’t write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say.” F. Scott Fitzgerald

Writing is everywhere—tree trunks, bathroom stalls, bridges and overpasses, graffiti on city walls. Everybody wants to say something.
But do they really have something to say?
Does it really matter that Jack loves Monica? Does everyone really want to know that you can call Sherry for a good time? Do gangs have to stamp their colorful brands to claim their turf?
Are these true messages or mere words?
The reason you write isn’t to be heard. The reason you write is because you have a message worth hearing.
You don’t write to prove your worth or make yourself known. You don’t write to impress. You write because you have a fire in your bones, a message that fills you up completely and spills over into typed words.
To read more posts in the 31 Days of Quotes for Writers series, click the button.


Image of initials on tree trunk by butterfingers laura on flickr

Day #10 Quotes for Writers

“I have written because it fulfilled me. . . I did it for the buzz. I did it for the joy of the thing. And if you can do it for joy, you can do it forever.” Stephen King, “On Writing”

 

When is the last time you wrote simply for the joy of it?
When is the last time you forgot about what your publisher wanted, what your audience wanted, and what your inner English teacher was saying?
When is the last time you poured forth words simply because you wanted to write them?
Your best writing will be that which brings you the most joy.
Stephen King is successful not only because he is a master of writing, but because he takes great delight in the act of typing words on paper.
It’s his joy.
Is it yours?
To read more posts in the 31 Days of Quotes for Writers series, click on the button.

Image of girl writing by juliejordanscott on flickr

Day #9 Quotes for Writers

“Writing is the most fun you can have by yourself.” Terry Pratchett

I couldn’t agree more!
For the writer, writing is play.
It’s art.
And it’s work.
All combined into one.
Granted, at times it feels like a giant leech draining every last word out of us, but once a big writing project is complete, we go right back to it.
It’s our drug, our therapy.
Admit it. Writing is fun.
To read more in the series 31 Days of Quotes for Writers, click the button.


Image of stickman with pencil by Photo Extremist on flickr

Day #8 Quotes for Writers

“The desire to write grows with writing.” Desiderius Erasmus

Have you lost your desire to write?
Start writing again.
It’s the only way to truly woo the desire back again.
If you’ll just start typing a few words, you’ll be surprised at how quickly the joy and delight comes back.
The more you write, the more you want to write.
To read more quotes in the series 31 Days of Quotes for Writers, click the button:

Image of hand writing by jjpacres on flickr

Day #4 Quotes for Writers

“If my doctor told me I had only six months to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.” Isaac Asimov

One day it dawned on me that no matter how long I live or how fast I type, I’ll never get all the words written that I want to write. That made me sad. But it also made me determined to type faster and more often!
The cool thing about written words is that they outlive us. Even when we’re gone they still speak for us.
I decided that when I’m gone, I still want to say a lot to the generations that follow me. So. . . I’m typing even faster.
Click on the button to read more in the series Quotes for Writers.

Image by Alex E. Priomos on flickr

Day #1 Quotes for Writers

“The worst thing you write is better than the best thing you didn’t write.”  Unknown

The point is to write. Your writing can be neither good nor bad until it’s actually created.
Sometimes fear of writing badly can keep writers from ever writing anything, but even terrible writing is worse than not writing at all, especially if the reason you don’t write is fear.
Some writing is better than no writing.
I’m participating in the Nester’s 31 Days series.Click on the button to find a list of each post in the series.
Image of writing hand by Brittney Marshall on flickr

31 Days of Quotes for Writers

Are you ready to be encouraged and motivated? Yes, it’s true, little old can’t-keep-a-blog-alive-for-nothing me will be posting every day for the month of October.
I’ll be sharing some of my favorite writing quotes, and giving a little commentary on each one. If you are in a writing slump or just need an extra umph, this series will help you get those ideas flowing and fingers typing.
Being the all or nothing girl that I am, I’m also writing a series on my Reality Homeschooling blog called 31 Days of Homeschooling Through a Crisis.
Both of these series will be included in the Nester’s 31 Days series. If you are a blogger and would like to start your own 31 days series, it’s not too late. Visit Nesting Place for details.

Writing Momentum

One of the few rules of physics that I know is that an object in motion tends to stay in motion, while it takes more exertion to get an object moving that isn’t in motion.

And so it is with writing.

The way you create momentum and keep the ball rolling is to continue writing. Taking long breaks will not help the cause.

I’ve taken a long break from this blog in order to get writing momentum going in some other areas. Now I’m back to get this ball rolling again.

What about you?

Is your writing gaining momentum or losing steam?

Are you enjoying the benefits that continuous writing affords, such as efficiency, writing faster, accomplishing more in less time, improving the craft?

Or are you deflated, facing writer’s block, stuck with your hands poised at the keyboard and no words flowing?

Take action.

Write something.

Get the ball rolling.


Image by Steven Kiyoda on flickr

How Do You Spell Writing Success?

How do you become a successful writer? Success in writing can be spelled out with one simple acronym: WORK!

W- Write, write write! Writing isn’t talking about it. It’s not dreaming about the day you become an author. It isn’t even reading or studying about it. Writing is writing, the act of actually doing it. You are a writer because you write, not because you enjoy the subject or know a lot about it. No writer has ever been successful who didn’t write.

O- Overcome all obstacles. A quote from author Richard Bach hands in my office. “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” So true. Writers must persevere through all obstacles. When you face rejection, pick yourself back up and try again. When you feel discouraged, renew your vision. Keep a positive attitude. Keep going no matter what.

R- Revise and polish. Everything you write is a rough draft until it’s revised and polished. Think of it like a tarnished teapot. The rough outline is there and something beautiful lies beneath the ruddy appearance, but it takes elbow grease to make it shine. The same is true of your writing. It takes editing, revising, and rewriting to get it in top condition. If you think your first draft is good enough, you’re wrong. All writing can stand improvement.

K- Kick your excuses to the curb. Successful writers make writing a priority. They don’t wait for long stretches of writing time that will never come. They don’t allow a busy schedule to crowd out writing. They plod on when they’re tired, when they’re facing trials, when life isn’t perfect. They don’t bow to excuses. Instead, they simply write.

Some say that writing doors open for the lucky. I’ve discovered that the harder I work the luckier I get. The more writing I produce, the more doors open for me. It’s not a magic formula that brings success in writing. It’s just one magic word: WORK!


Image by Landahlauts on Flickr