1. Writing is a process. It never comes out right in the first draft, but write it down anyway. Write everything.
“For me and most of the other writers I know, writing is not rapturous. In fact, the only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really shitty first drafts.” (pg. 22)
2. Being published is not the reward, writing is the reward.
“I just try to warn people who hope to get published that publication is not all that it is cracked up to be. But writing is. Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises.” (pg. xxvi)
3. Writing is hard. Don’t beat yourself up about it.
“You are desperate to communicate, to edify or entertain, to preserve moments of grace or joy or transcendence, to make real or imagined events come alive. But you cannot will this to happen. It is a matter of persistence and faith and hard work.” (pg. 7)
I love this author! and i love the idea that writing is a gift in and of itself. of course, this is what i tell myself when i can't convince an agent to take on my book :)
ReplyDeleteI love the line that writing is a reward. I think that is why I continue to try to do it every day.
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