“One day I will find the right words and they will be simple.” So said Jack Kerouac. An encouraging adage that resonates for me.
I have been following several blogs that focus on inspirational philosophers and authors and am learning more about many familiar names in the literary world.
Most interesting to me currently is Tennessee Williams. Follies of the Gods is a collaboration between Williams and interviewer James Grissom who collated Williams’ thoughts on the actors he worked with that brought his works to the big screen. Descriptions of his relationships with the actors are beautifully written.
Tennessee Williams: “All the qualities of magic reside in women. This is why the fearful suppress them. This is why the wise follow them.”
“I believe that the way to write a good play is to convince yourself that it is easy to do – then go ahead and do it with ease.”
Here are a few more words from several favourite authors and a couple whose work I have not yet read that may provide some inspiration:
Annie Proulx – You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page. Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.”
Hemmingway – “The most important thing I’ve learned about writing is never write too much at a time…never pump yourself dry. Leave a little for the next day. Let your subconscious mind do the work.”
“Write drunk. Edit sober.” “I wrote A Farewell to Arms at least fifty times.”
Barbara Kingsolver – “I don’t believe in talent. I believe in passion. Writing is ninety eight percent work and two percent magic.”
Truman Capote – “Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade, just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself.”
Maya Angelou – “The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart. When you find your way to the readers’ hearts they will thank you.”
John Irving – “Imagine readers as restless, hyperactive teenagers who would rather be doing something else, and your job is to get their attention and keep it. Make them sympathize with someone to whom you wouldn’t like something terrible to happen.”
“Know what becomes of people. If you don’t know what becomes of people how should you know where to begin?”
Roddy Doyle – “Do keep a thesaurus but in the shed at the back of the garden or behind the fridge, somewhere that demands travel and effort. Chances are the words that come into your head will do fine, eg: ‘horse’ ‘rain’ and ‘said.”
Susan Sontag – “Love words, agonize over sentences. And pay attention to the world. Be serious. Never be cynical. Which doesn’t preclude being funny.”
Carl Sagan – “Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of magic.”
Dorothy Parker – “I hate writing. I love having written.”
Anne Marie MacDonald – “All of the standard self doubts that come are really just very sophisticated forms of procrastination because it is so much easier not to write.”
It’s time I heed the message in this last quote and balance the reading fun with writing fun.
Love this! All of it. Thanks for sharing!