“I always wrote with the idea that what I put out there is going to stay there. Once I publish something, it has been published. I’ve never deleted more than one or two posts from my site. I don’t think that there are takebacks.” -Alison Headley
The quote is listed on The Quotations Page for writing quotes, a source that I always find inspiring. The things other people have said about writing often give me pause for thought and this one is no exception. It’s important to realize that what we’re writing is going to be seen by others. As we write, we should keep in mind that this could be something that we’re permanently associated with. By doing so, we maintain the integrity of our own writing and always challenge ourselves to do our best work.
It’s always tempting to think, “it’s just a blog post” and slack on the quality of the writing because you know it’s going to get buried in the archives in a few days. However, something that others have seen always has the potential to crop back up again. Try to do your best writing at all times so that anything that comes back will only be something that you want to nod in agreement with.
Question of the Day: Do you ever find yourself writing with lower standards because you’re “only” writing a blog post?
[Tags] writing, quote, alison headley, inspiration, blog, standards, quality [/Tags]
I’m the first to admit that Reality TV is probably not the best source for inspiration. However, it has its moments. For some, watching the development of characters on these shows can assist them in creating their own characters for novels and short stories. For me, recent inspiration came from one line in a show that made me literally laugh out loud.
The show was Hell’s Kitchen. Abrasive Chef Gordon Ramsay was all worked up about how slow one of the contestants on the show was being at his work. And what he said was something along the lines of “you’re moving like a tortoise … giving birth”.
I’d never heard anyone say that before and it caught me off guard. It took the usual metaphor that is tired and obvious and gave it this twist that struck me as ridiculously humorous. Not much on TV actually makes me laugh aloud so the show got points for that. But more importantly, it got me thinking about the fact that there is always a new way to the same old things if you’re willing to look for that way.
Yes, a lot of metaphors have already been made before. But we can take those metaphors and put our own spin on them to make them apply to different situations or say something slightly different than what they usually say. A good writer will edit out the cliches in her work and find a way to write a new turn of phrase.
Question of the Day: Can you think of any other twists-on-sayings that you’ve heard which stuck with you?
[Tags] inspiration, quote, hell’s kitchen, chef gordon ramsay [/Tags]
“Authors who never give you something to disagree with never give you anything to think about.” -Michael LaRocca
I don’t particularly like confrontation. I don’t enjoy it when something that I write causes someone to get all upset and send me nasty messages or leave me unsettling comments. Frankly, I think that my opinion is just that - one opinion - and while I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, I kind of assume that we all know that everyone is entitled to their opinions. So it irks me, bothers me, frustrates me when someone gets upset by something I wrote.
But I write it anyway.
That’s the thing about being a writer - and especially one on the web where people can fire off responses to you without even a second thought - you can’t censor yourself if you want what you write to really reflect what you believe. I think it’s important that we all remember that for every person that disagrees with us, someone else will agree. For those who disagree, there is the potential we will change their minds or help them see another viewpoint. For those who agree, our articulation may serve to inspire them.
You can’t make everyone happy all of the time. And you shouldn’t have to. Put your thoughts and opinions out there for others to read. Don’t take yourself too seriously; your opinion is just one of many. But don’t shortchange yourself either. What you want to write should be said.
This quote was found on a terrific site that has a whole lot of quotes about writing. This post is part of the daily Inspired! column in which I share the many things that inspire me as a writer.
Question of the Day: Have you ever failed to write something because you were afraid of the response?
[Tags] writing, censorship, readers, fans, creativity, inspiration [/Tags]
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]
