Words to Write By
Posted by David Duhr in 
On Facebook recently we asked for some words of wisdom that put you guys in the mood to get some writing done. From Angelou to Vonnegut, the results were interesting; some of you pointed to quotations that help get you revved up to write, while others of you struggled to remember why the words meant something to you in the first place.
Here is what you guys responded with:
“My stories run up and bite me on the leg – I respond by writing down everything that goes on during the bite. When I finish, the idea lets go and runs off.” — Ray Bradbury (Carie)
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” -Maya Angelou. It reminds me that the more I practice writing the more I have to write. (Meghan)
“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago, the second best time is now.” – Chinese proverb (Steve)
“Write drunk … Edit sober” – Ernest Hemingway. I think we get in our own way a lot as writers. Too much writing like we think we are suppose to. Relax and let it flow. Have a drink or two … Until you have to edit. (Richard)
“Planning to write is not writing. Outlining, researching, talking to people about what you’re doing, none of that is writing. Writing is writing.” – E. L. Doctorow. I’ve had this on my bulletin board 30+ years… don’t know that it has helped. (Janice)
I have a bunch that are written in my planner for those moments I need inspiration. This is a current favorite: “Love is the answer to everything. It’s the only reason to do anything. If you don’t write stories you love, you’ll never make it. If you don’t write stories other people love, you’ll never make it.”—Ray Bradbury (Sarah)
Maybe “Finish it”? Somebody famous said. Though J. Franzen said something parallel (?) to this to crowd at Bass auditorium last summer along lines of that he was leery of starting a book when it “wasn’t ready.” (Jose)
“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”–Samuel Beckett (Sarah)
“If you really want to hurt your parents, and you don’t have the nerve to be gay, the least you can do is go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.” – Kurt Vonnegut (Heather)
How about the rest of you? Please leave your favorite writing quotations in the comments below, and feel free to tell us why these words inspire you to write. (Or why they don’t, but should.)