Listening seeds ideas. Overheard dialogue, especially misheard words, are auditory stimulants for the imagination. Said Joan Didion in her essay “On Keeping a Notebook:” “See enough and write it down, I tell myself, and then some morning when the world seems drained of wonder, some day when I am only going through the motions of doing […]
Tag Archives: quotes
Margaret Atwood: ‘If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.’
“If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.” Margaret Atwood Perfection is the antithesis of inspiration; it prevents you from getting started. If you’re struggling to get started, do it badly. You may also like:
‘The test of a book is how much good stuff you can throw away’
“The test of a book is how much good stuff you can throw away,” he said. “When I’m writing it, I’m just as proud as a goddam lion. I use the oldest words in the English language. People think I’m an ignorant bastard who doesn’t know the ten-dollar words. I know the ten-dollar words. There […]
‘Life is a movie; death is a photograph’
“Life is a movie; death is a photograph.” Susan Sontag, from her first published novel The Benefactor (1969) You may also like:
Make even more art
Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art. Andy Warhol You may also like:
Don’t hold that thought 💬✒️
When in doubt, speak up. Talking is a tool for excavating thoughts—microphone in hand or not. It’s only after the speaking occurs do the words begin to flow. The same goes for writing. One doesn’t need an audience in order to do it. The movement of the pen gears the brain into motion so that […]