When you think your story plot is lame or your writing generally sucks, remember this advice from Anne Lamott and just keep writing: “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.”
Author F. Scott Fitzgerald once made this wry observation: “Writers aren’t exactly people.They’re a whole bunch of people trying to be one person.”
If you aspire to succeed at writing, one quick point to remember in those dark moments when you’re discouraged and tempted to give up: “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” —Richard Bach
Sad but true, I have spent much of my life waiting for inspiration instead of writing. If you want to write, do it—don’t make excuses for why you can’t. Remember: “If you wait for inspiration to write, you’re not a writer, you’re a waiter.”
A bit of midnight randomness as I contemplate the meaning of my crazy life in a crazy world: “Life is like a bowl of cereal. A mix of milk that might be sweet or sour, a few shriveled raisins, lots of flakes and broken pieces, a healthy dose of irony, and a sprinkle of sugar … read more Crazy Life, Crazy World
Had to take my cat to the vet today. He had a bad infection in his blind eye and his one remaining tooth, both caused by the FIV virus he’s had since a kitten. The vet gave him shots and said he’s at that age when kidney failure will take him out, and that’s what … read more Update on Bing the Cat
Whether you are a writer, or you are traveling another road in life, the time you waste is time you lose. The time you have in this world is less than you think—use it wisely and get busy writing. Now, not next week or next month! A wonderful quote worth remembering: “Every day you waste … read more Time Wasted Is Time Lost
I made good progress today on my “To Do” list of building projects that have been hanging over me seemingly forever. I cussed, fumed, and threw some tools around, but I managed to get half of the forms installed for a 50-foot long concrete sidewalk in front of my house (yes, I know, a 50-foot … read more My Building Projects “To Do” List
I’m continuing to sort through and throw out most of the “stuff” I have accumulated over the years with the goal of fitting everything I want to keep in one small room. It’s a bit depressing to walk down the memory lane of my life, look out over piles of junk that I believed I … read more So Much Junk Collected Over the Years
If writing is in your blood, this quote will ring true: “A writer never has a vacation. For a writer life consists of either writing or thinking about writing.” —Eugene Ionesco