Real Words

This quote by Audre Lorde is one of the most inspiring lines of writing that I’ve read throughout the years:

“When we speak

We are afraid

Our words will not be heard nor welcomed.

But when we are silent,

We are still afraid.

So it is better to speak.”

That is what writing is all about; the willingness to speak our own truths despite the fears that may attempt to hold us back.

To always strive to speak what is in our hearts despite what we are concerned the consequences may be is one of the goals of a writer’s life … and the act of doing so is always an inspiration.

Question of the Day: What’s your favorite Audre Lorde quote?

[Tags] audre lorde, quote, writing, silence, fear [/Tags]

*Inspired is a daily Real Words column sharing all that inspires one working writer.

“I try to leave out the parts that people skip.”  ~Elmore Leonard

I am a big fan of quotations because I always enjoy seeing other writers phrase something in a way that I wish I had done myself. In some cases, it’s the choice of phrasing that can be an inspiration. In this case, it is the message itself which is inspiring.

I know that one of the things that I do as a writer is that I get long-winded. I add too much description where it’s not necessary. I take a paragraph to explain something that could probably be detailed in a sentence if I could just get the right sentence down.

Do I consider this a flaw? Not necessarily. I think that every writer has their own style and that it’s necessary to be true to that style if you’re really going to write from your heart. Nevertheless, I do know that there are times when brevity would be better. As a result, I find this quote inspiring. It’s a reminder to just leave in the part that people want to read and cut out the rest.

Question of the Day: Are you a writer who favors lengthy descriptions or do you cut to the chase?

[Tags] writing, writer, quote, elmore leonard, description, inspiration [/Tags]

“Fool, said my Muse to me, looke in thy heart, and write. “

The quote comes from a piece called Astrophel and Stella but the line itself is what stands out to me. In fact, I read this quote as a stand-along quote in a book about writing a long time ago. It was actually attributed to John Lyly then and I always thought that was who said it but a Google search turns up Philip Sidney as the author instead.

It just gets to the heart of the point about writing. You can look around the entire world for inspiration and that’s certainly important to do. (I do it on a daily basis and showcase it in this column!) But in the end, you need to just look inside and write what’s there.

Question of the Day: What ancient literary quote inspires you most?

[Tags] quote, writing, literature, poetry, astrophel, stella, sidney [/Tags]