I read and learn so much from other writer's blogs! I've collected some of my favourite quotes and links to their sources here, for those days when I need some writerly inspiration.
"...don't keep reworking the same piece for too long. Your writing can only grow if you give yourself new things to write---much like a plant can't grow bigger if you keep it in the same pot."
Laura Biagi, 7 Questions For: Literary Agent Laura Biagi, Middle Grade Ninja, July 14, 2014
"I can complain about not having time to write, or I can make time to write."
"If you’re suffering from hypothermia, or excruciating chafing, by all means, take some time off to recover. Otherwise, keep writing. The finish line is out there – somewhere."
David Carroll, author of Ultra, To DNF or Not to DNF, December 13, 2013
"Assume every editor is looking for a reason to say no. Don't give it to them."
Monica Trasandes, 6 Keys to Revising Your Fiction, Chuck Sambuchino's Guide to Literary Agents Blog, September 20, 2013
"...stop angsting about what you can't control and do what you can to make your own luck."
Debbie Ridpath Ohi, Luck, Lightning Rods and the Publishing Industry: Tips on How to Make Your Own Luck, posted on the MiG Writers blog, July 3, 2013
"...we hide our emotions all the time. And this means our characters should, too."
Becca Puglisi, Hiding Emotions: Just Act Normal, The Bookshelf Muse, May 8, 2013
"There comes a point in every writer's career where the writer must make a choice to give up, or to keep going no matter what. And if you're going to keep going, go all the way."
Robert Kent, Middle Grade Ninja, Why We Write Part 2, February 6, 2013
“Good” gets rejected. Your work has to be the best.
Jane Friedman, How Long Should You Keep Trying to Get Published?, December 29, 2012
"Words of wisdom? Write. As simple as that. The moment you stop writing, you've given up, admitted defeat. Just keep writing."
Peter Salomon, in Interview: Peter Salomon, MSFV Success Star AND Super Guy at Miss Snark's First Victim, August 30, 2012.
"...story is internal, not external. A story is not about the plot, which is why external story-structure models, including the over-revered Hero’s Journey, often lead writers far astray. A story is about how the plot affects the protagonist."
Lisa Cron, author of Wired for Story, The Biggest Mistake Writers Make and How To Avoid It, at Writer Unboxed, September 13, 2012"But there are politics, bad timing and subjective judges and sometimes things simply don’t go in our favor. It’s not a reflection of us..."
"...what really grabs the reader isn’t the great writing. It’s the story that all that great writing is giving voice to."
Lisa Cron, Channeling the Reader's Brain: What We Expect of Every Story, guest post at Janice Hardy's The Other Side of the Story, July 12, 2012.
“Those
other things that make us tick bring enriching and unexpected insights and
originality to our writing. Don't neglect them because you should be
writing.” Debbie
Fuller,
Cooking Up Some Good Writing at Novel Matters, Feb 1, 2012
"...what the character DOES is far more important than what is DONE TO the character. Readers want to engage with a character who makes decisions and choices and takes action." Mooderino, Waiting for a Story to Get Going, Moody Writing, Monday June 11, 2012
"It’s OK to leave stuff out. You have to, because if you don’t, you’ll never get to the real story you want to tell." Jane Friedman, It's Okay to Leave Stuff Out. In Fact, It's Better, May 8, 2012
"In the end, it all comes down to having an unwavering passion to write." Eve Marie Mont, Keeping Your Unwavering Passion to Write, Guest Post at Adventures in YA & Children's Publishing, April 4, 2012.
"But if you truly believe you've found your purpose in life, as a storyteller, then you must also believe that no matter what hurdles you encounter, you will prevail." Lydia Sharp, The Sharp Angle, Back to Basics: Writing is Hard, February 29, 2012
"...I came to an understanding of what I think write what you know means. To me, it means taking the emotions you’ve felt through your real life experiences and transposing those onto your fictional characters." Catherine McKenzie, author of Spin, at Writer Unboxed, Have You Been to Rehab? February 10, 2012
"...what people don't "get" shows you exactly what you need to work on as a writer." Veronica Roth, What Project Runway Taught Me About Explanations, January 24, 2012
"...the stakes, the goals, the point of what’s being done isn’t as important as how it’s being done." Mooderino at Moody Writing, Dead Story Walking, December 15, 2011
"...there is one thing your story absolutely cannot be, and that is predictable." James Scott Bell, What Makes A Novel a Page-Turner, The Kill Zone, September 18, 2011
"Emotion is going to be your reader’s biggest takeaway…and their biggest expectation when they’re considering reading a book. And if you do it right — if you write a book that’s not only cathartic for your character and your reader but for you, too — you will definitely give your readers a journey they won’t forget." Mary Kole, A Writer's Main Objective, Kidlit.com, September 12, 2011
"You chose that setting for a reason, mine it so that readers can feel that sense of place for themselves. For your audience, a rich setting is the difference between watching characters and being there with them." Deborah Halverson, Guest Post: Author-Editor Deborah Halverson on Setting, Wherefore Art Thou? Cynsations, June 18, 2010
"...we need to surprise the reader. We need to make them see the moon in a different way, from a different angle, so that it will mean something to them again, so it won't just be background. In a way, we have to trick readers into really seeing the moon again." Jeff Hirsch, Writing Tips: Seeing the Moon for the First Time, The League of Extraordinary Writers, July 20, 2011.
"Editing is much like thinning a crop. We writers take out what's in the way, so that the important stuff can flourish." Natalie Whipple, Thinning the Crop, June 13, 2011
"That's why I write--and read--middle grade fiction. Because I expect a good book to take me someplace I've never been, to do something I've never seen done, to wow me in ways I never knew I could be wowed." Alan Gratz, Yes, I Read My Own Books, at Smack Dab In the Middle, April 21, 2011
"...books are not simply the finite work of the author - they are an amalgamation of the writer’s imagination and the reader’s." - Girl Friday, Reading, Writing and Ribaldry, The Magic of Books, April 12, 2011
"It isn't the ability to complete a first draft that defines us as writers and helps us grow. It’s what we do once the first draft flops. It’s how we pick ourselves up, and start over, revise or rewrite, or start something new in a more logical, thoughtful way." Martina Boone, Secret Recipe for a Novel, Adventures in Children's Publishing, March 22, 2011
"...remember that publishing is sometimes just a process, and that luck and timing play into it too, so sticking with it and continuing to write is the best thing you can do for your career." Mandy Hubbard, On Sticking With It..., March 10, 2011
"Whether you want to entertain or to provoke, to break hearts or reassure them, what you bring to your writing must consist of your longings and disappointments." Rafael Yglesias, guest post on Jane Friedman's Writer Digest blog, There are No Rules, February 23, 2011.
"...books take the time they take, and trying to force yourself to a schedule is going to drive you crazy." Janice Hardy, Too Fast, Too Furious, and Way Too Much, February 5, 2011 (re-post)
"...anything a writer puts in a story has implications, and if you don't think of them at least a little bit, you can run yourself into believability problems."
Patricia C. Wrede, Implications, December 22, 2010
"What happens in the jump between scenes, the stuff that readers don’t see, is important to your character.If you know what happens, your readers will feel it."
Deborah Halverson, Guest Post at Fiction Notes, November 29, 2010
"Writing isn't just about producing words – it's about creating stories, developing characters, imagining worlds." James Killick, The Writing Advice You Need But Don't Want, October 18, 2010
"It isn't what or how much you show that matters, but why you show it and what it means to the story." Janice Hardy, The Other Side of the Story, Write What You Don't Know, September 20, 2010
"...connection is vital in any story. We need to feel like every scene leads to the next scene, so that things build and grow until the climax." Anna Staniszewski. My Three-Point Revision Checklist, September 15, 2010
"We have no control over what people may think. We can only control what we put on the page." Karen Strong, Musing of a Novelista, September 1, 2010
"It’s okay to tell sometimes, instead of show. Not every character reaction has to be described in gut-churning, eyebrow-lifting physical detail. Sometimes it’s okay to simply say, “Jessie panicked.” L.J. Sellers, The Blood-Red Pencil, July 26, 2010.
"For me, publishing in the children's market should always be about inspiring growth and thought in your readers. If you are doing it for the money, what's the point?" M.B. West, July 7, 2010
“…we’ve all heard, “Write what you know.” But how about “Write what brings you alive?” Hanna C. Howard, June 24, 2010
"We can't get better unless we get vulnerable." Jody Hedlund, June 23, 2010
"It's the feelings about a book that stay with me. The plot will fade." Nan Marino, June 8, 2010
"It's really important to be yourself in your writing, find your unique voice, do your own thing." Rachelle Gardner, June 16, 2010
