Current Writing News and Quotes on Writing
First, current writing news, which won’t take long as there’s not much to report.
Circumstances are such that I’m still not in a position to submit my latest manuscript to an editor.
Which led to a writing slump with yours truly wallowing in a phase of not seeing the point of continuing with any writing.
That image of Charles Dickens at his writing desk – his expression wasn’t far off how I felt each time I sat with my notebook.
However, the slump didn’t last long when I reminded myself that I write regardless of whether I publish anything or not.
After a few false starts, which led to more frustration, I came across ‘12 Short Stories in 12 Months’ over at Deadlines for Writers.
The way it works is you get emailed a short story prompt each month with a word count, and you have a month to write the story.
Apart from sticking to the word count (with a bit of leeway either side of that amount), the only thing that’s required is commenting on four stories.
You can join at any time of the year and the 12 months begin from whichever month you join.
After much dithering, I joined in February.
As Mia Botha, the lady who runs it, says, “This is an exercise in discipline. The comments are a bonus. There are no prizes because I want you to focus on writing for yourself and to try and take more risks.”
I do find it fun, but the last two months I wondered if I’d come up with a story in time –I didn’t knuckle down to writing both stories until the deadline for each month was breathing down my neck!
Let’s see how long it’ll take me this month - so far, I’m still struggling to come up with a viable story idea, and the deadline is the 18th.
It certainly is a good exercise in discipline, especially as the prompts aren’t what I’d pick if I was choosing them for myself.
And reading other people’s stories is the real icing on the cake.
Anyway, in the spirit of getting on with writing instead of making excuses, here’s a collection of quotes to do with writing… or, in a couple of cases, avoiding writing!
(Image of vintage typewriter by Deephoto - Pixabay)
“There comes a point in your life when you need to stop reading other people’s books and write your own.” ~ Albert Einstein
“The thing all writers do best is find ways to avoid writing.” ~ Alan Dean Foster
“Five minutes of writing a day is better than no minutes. Too many new writers think that unless they have plenty of time, it’s not worth booting up the computer or sharpening that pencil. But think of it, instead, like practising scales on the piano before tackling that Beethoven Concerto or like warming-up in the gym – the more you prepare for writing, the better shape you’ll be in once you have time to really concentrate.” ~ Kate Mosse
“Work. Write. Read. Write some more. Read some more. Keep putting words on the page or screen, because that’s the only way you’ll get better.” ~ S.J. Watson
(Image of fountain pen on notebook by Pexels - Pixabay)
“I write the first draft quickly. This is most often done in longhand. I simply fill up the pages as rapidly as I can… With the first draft it’s a question of getting down the outline, the scaffolding of the story. Then on subsequent revisions I’ll see to the rest of it. When I’ve finished the longhand draft, I’ll type a version of the story… When I’m typing the first draft, I’ll begin to rewrite and add and delete a little then. The real work comes later, after I’ve done three or four drafts of the story.” ~ Raymond Carver
“The function of the first draft is to help you figure out your story. The function of every draft after that is to figure out the most dramatic way to tell that story.” ~ Darcy Pattison
“Good writing is the hardest form of thinking. It involves the agony of turning profoundly difficult thoughts into lucid form, then forcing them into the tight-fitting uniform of language, making them visible and clear. If the writing is good, then the result seems effortless and inevitable.” ~ Pat Conroy
(Image of inkwell and quill on writing desk by Pexels - Pixabay)
“Write even when the world is chaotic. You don’t need a cigarette, silence, music, a comfortable chair, or inner peace to write. You just need ten minutes and a writing implement.” ~ Cory Doctorow
“Writing is hard. That’s why so few people stick to it and actually finish things. And why you have a right to be immensely proud when you finish something.” ~ Andy Ihnatko
“Write. Remember, people may keep you (or me) from being a published author, but no one can stop you from being a writer. All you have to do is write. And keep writing. While you’re working at a career, while you’re raising children, while you’re trout fishing – keep writing! No one can stop you but you.” ~ Katherine Neville
(Image of vintage typewriter on writing desk by JillWellington - Pixabay)