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Hey, remember that scene where the alien bursts out of the guy’s chest? “If a story is in you, it has to come out.” ~William Faulkner
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Write without restraint! And then…restrain, restrain, restrain. “Write drunk, edit sober.” ~Ernest Hemingway
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You can’t steer a parked car. “You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.” ~Jodi Picoult
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Everyone already knows you’re crazy. You might as well capitalize on it. “Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.” ~E. L. Doctorow
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Just fake it till thou makest it. That’s what I did. ~William Shakespeare “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” ~Richard Bach
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Like people from Missouri, readers live in the show-me state. “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” ~Anton Chekhov
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Put them out of their misery. “If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now while they’re happy.” ~Dorothy Parker
Show me, show me, show me!
Great post! 😄
Oh,I love this!
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Awesome.. !!!
What an inspiring collection!!! Makes me want to forget my kids, go straight into my office and write.
Uh, well, feed the kids first. ;>)
Ah, Dorothy Parker – how I love her!
Every quote is so apropos to this struggle we share. I like the one about the professional being an amateur who didn’t quit. My situation exactly. VMK
A keeper!
Oh, but this is the best!! Going to have to share!!
Insightful advice and comforting commiseration for all writers, Mitch. Just for fun, here’s a possibility for #8: “A writer is a writer not because she writes well and easily, because she has amazing talent, or because everything she does is golden. A writer is a writer because, even when there is no hope, even when nothing you do shows any sign of promise, you keep writing anyway” –Junot Diaz, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, 2008.
Yes! Great addition, Nancy.
I so agree, Nancy! My husband is a true musician–but you’ll probably never, ever see his name on a marquee. He will be upstairs playing his bass guitar (of which he has three) for a couple of hours by himself and not realize how late it is!
So true! My former pastor one said that to know what your passion is, ask yourself what you were doing when you last lost all track of time.
I feel like this when writing my blog. I keep going even though sometimes I think no one is reading it.
Rock on, RG!
Mitch have been a business person and now a writer, it is much harder to be a writer or an artist of any kind! Art and the responses you get are so much more personal.
Your choice of people and quotes were perfect.
Brad
Brad James, author The Business Zoo
Thanks, Brad!
no. 4 is my favorite.
Great writing views, thanks for sharing…
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On writing, from “American Pastoral” by Philp Roth: “As pathological phenomena go, it doesn’t completely wreck your life!”
(Yet)
Thanks for another great one, Mitch.
Excellent post, Mitch. My favorite (today) “[Write] as you would do scales on the piano. Do it by prearrangement with yourself. Do it as a debt of honor. And make a commitment to finishing things.” Anne Lamott. I’m still working on the last point :).
Great advice (not surprising since it comes from Anne Lamott).
Right? I think she’s marvelous.
I’m printing this so I can see it everyday.
;>)
You really know how to make people laugh… I had a good laugh.
Sharing! I love this post-thank you! 😀
Honored to be shared!
Reblogged this on English Lit Geek and commented:
A little humor for the writer in you. LOL
Thanks for reblogging this Denise! I got here from your reblog and really enjoyed it. Thank you Mitch for the great post.
Thank you, Lorien–and Denise!
<3 <3 <3
These are great…thanks for sharing!
Very funny and helpful all at the same time. It encourages me on my journey as a writer just to know everyone starts out struggling…at least some do admit it…and it helps us fellow-strugglers! Better to write and fail than to never write at all! Oh, the wonderful things we get to experience along the twisted path!! Kind of like life! Thank you Mitch!!! Your blogs always have my attention! 🙂
Like life, indeed, Dori!
Reblogged this on WILDsound Writing and Film Festival Review.
Honored.
Reblogged this on Mitch Teemley and commented:
On a big project (back next week). Meanwhile, here’s an old favorite. Some great quotes on writing here!
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Great post, Mitch! Good word, good thoughts!!!
Thanks, Jeff!
Years ago I signed up for a creative writing class. On the first day the teacher asked how many of us wanted to be writers, and all hands went up. “Then why aren’t you home writing?” he asked.
;>)
Wonderful and witty post, Mitch!! Excellent advice in these wuotes!!