This is one of my favorite quotes for writers: “We don’t tell ourselves, ‘I’m never going to write my symphony.’ Instead we say, ‘I am going to write my symphony; I’m just going to start tomorrow.’” – Steven Pressfield, The War of Art I use this quote a lot in my writing workshops. I even…
Quotes for Writers
Quotes for Writers, Terrific Books
The Wonderful Wild Rumpus
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 7 Comments
I cried last week reading the obit for Maurice Sendak, realizing there would be no more wild things, no more wild rumpus. No more books from this grumpy, brilliant, wonderful writer. If you haven’t read Where the Wild Things Are for awhile, get it out and reread it. It’s poetry and psychology rolled into one…
Getting Started, Quotes for Writers
Two Quotes for Today
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 3 Comments
I'm about to go up to Lake Arrowhead to give a weekend writing retreat and I just found two quotes to open the retreat with. Both express how I feel about writing, how we're always beginners when we face the blank page. “We work in the dark – we do what we can – we…
Quotes for Writers
The Holy Calling
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 3 Comments
You may find that your friends and family are somewhat less than respectful of you sitting there in your sacred space. They might even refer to what you’re up to as “typing” or “your new hobby.” Writing is not a hobby. Collecting stamps or coins are hobbies. Writing is a calling. …
Quotes for Writers
A Quote From Essay Boot Camp
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 25 Comments
I’m deep into essay boot camp at the UCLA Writers Studio this week. Here’s a quote I’m using in my workshop: (FYI I found it on Brevity: The Craft of Concise Literary Non-fiction. The website is full of some of the best craft articles on writing non-fiction that I’ve ever read. Go check it…
Quotes for Writers
Random Inspiration
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 3 Comments
Quotations scribbled on small pieces of paper are rising up in my office as I continue my quest for order out of the chaos. Some quotes are not only incomplete but also incomprehensible: “My mother is saving the wings of the termites to – “ (Is this is a note for something I was…
Quotes for Writers
Quotes
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 2 Comments
“Writing is the only profession where no one considers you ridiculous if you earn no money.” – Jules Renard “The dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he’s given the freedom to starve anywhere.” – S.J. Perelman
Quotes for Writers
Quotes for Inspiration
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 5 Comments
Dear Readers, I hope your writing is going well this summer. I hope you’re finding time for it and inspiration for whatever it is you need to write. Please let me know how this site can help you, and what could inspire you the most. Meanwhile, here are some quotes I keep coming back to…
Quotes for Writers
Quotes
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
“The last thing that we find in making a book is to know what we must put first.” – Blaise Pascal “Real literature, like travel, is always a surprise.” – Alison Lurie
Quotes for Writers
Quotes
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 1 Comment
"The material’s out there, a calm lake waiting for us to dive in." – Beverly Lowry "I have not looked at a newspaper in twenty years; if one is brought into the room, I flee. This is not because I am indifferent but because one cannot follow every road." – Jean Cocteau
