Thoreau said it...

"As if you could kill time without injuring eternity"

~Henry David Thoreau

How do you spend your time?  Is it wasting away in front of Pinterest, Facebooking/Tweeting about writing?  I have done it. It is relaxing sometimes. The only problem is it is not writing...and at he end of the day you have nothing.  To have a strong body of work you must write, and continue to write. The only way to get it right is to write. I love this advice as how to be a writer. 

Salman Rushdie on Truth in Literature

Truth isn't realism?  It is truth.  Writing is not about reporting back events that you have seen it is creating them to be seen.

But isn't some truth stranger than fiction?  Isn't it that the truth that inspires the most authentic of fiction?

Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury, writer of Fahrenheit 451, offers up his love of books in his interview.  I love how Ray has intimate relationships with writers and how they were friends for him.  I couldn't agree more with him. During my childhood books were my escape from my reality.

I love how he used the UCLA typing room as his office to write Fahrenheit 451.  And how he describes the characters as people that talk to him through the books.  I have this too but in the last novel I wrote they all seemed to be pretty pissed off at me...there was a lot of cold shoulders.  This current work in progress they all have something to say and fight for my attention.

Ray made me smile when he stated, that "we all need to jump and we will build our wings on the way down." Just write and the skills will develop, for those who persist.  

Quirks are okay

We are all a little on the kookie side.  Love this video

Plotting your story

photo source

When I first started writing I would have a flash, maybe a dream that gave me a feeling in the opening scene.  From that I would blindly sketch out some kind of convoluted tale. There would be random adventures but there was no knowledge of the format of novels and an over exaggeration of the increasing tensions.


It was after that very first attempt...you know the one where I wrote myself into a corner then built a fort around myself with no doors...pitiful, that I realized I need to go back to basics and learn more to do better next time.    



I really like this lesson series.  He lays it all out complete with examples and walking you through the build up and conclusion. I don't think this is the only way to build plot, or to plan a story but I do think that knowing and be able to work with the basics of storytelling enriches you as a writer.  It strengthens your craft.  

What do you think?

Kevin O'Brien on keeping people terrified

O'Brien's story is inspiring.  We all fail sometimes and our lowest periods in life can proceed our greatest achievements.

I truly enjoyed the section on outlining.  I always worried I was too detailed.  This was helpful in as a form of laying it out.  I also was interested in the section on writers groups. I have never been able to have a writing group.  I don't know where to find them...they hide in plain sight I am sure.

Nicholas Sparks and Nora Roberts talk about writing

Nicholas Sparks is not one of my favorite writers.  Having never truly witnessed the kind of relationships that he prefers to write about it is tough for me to relate to him.

When he talks about never loving writing...I do agree.  There are times a get so aggravated and irritated with the story and myself.  I love when he said that he continues to write because it is a self driven need to be better than the last. That is what I am in the middle of now.  I was not in love with my first  book.  This one is a chance at redemption.

I could not let N pass with the mention of Nora Roberts...

Nora is amazing. She is adorable and so funny to listen to her stories.  She writes so fast...and it is the nuns fault. Too bad I didn't spend more time with those nuns.  I sure could use some of her writing speed.  I love how she said that the muse is crap!  She said, "that Sister Mary's responsibly will kick the muse's ass." So true.

Habit is the key.  You can fix a bad page but not a blank one.  Love her. Now to go back to my habit.