“I'm writing for my ideal reader, for somebody who's willing to take the time, who's willing to get lost in a new world, who's willing to do their part. But then I have to do my part and give them a sound and a voice that they believe in enough to keep going.” WorldGivingWritingBelieveEnoughLostSoundVoiceWillingReaderIdealsKeep GoingNew World Author:Elizabeth Strout
“Part of writing a novel is being willing to leap into the blackness. You have very little idea, really, of what's going to happen. You have a broad sense, maybe, but it's this rash leap. It's like spelunking. You kind of create the right path for yourself. But, boy, are there so many points at which you think, absolutely, I'm going down the wrong hole here. And I can't get back to the right hole. I'm not going to be able to get this section back to the right hole - so I'm just going to have to cut it.” ThinkingWritingKindLittlesI CanIdeasHappensAbleBoysNovelPathCuttingWillingHolesLeapGet BackBroadsSectionsBlacknessRight Path Author:Chang-Rae Lee
“If you'd like to meet some fully realized characters while learning some specifics of Zimbabwe's postcolonial struggles, as I did, you're likely to come away with a vague feeling of dissatisfaction. If you're willing to settle for first-rate writing and provocative meditations on memory, corruption and loss, they are all here in abundance.” IfsWritingFirstsCharacterFeelingsMemoriesLossStruggleMeditationWillingRateCorruptionSettlingAbundanceVagueDissatisfactionProvocativeZimbabweSpecifics Author:Jabari Asim
“We all have time to write. We have time to write the minute we are willing to write badly, to chase a dead end, to scribble a few words, to write for the hell of it instead of for the perfect and polished result.” WritingEndsTimePerfectResultsHellMinutesWillingPolishedFew WordsDead EndsScribbles Book:The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life Source: The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life
“Unless I am both capable of and willing to reopen the wound every time I write a song, if I choose to not look inside myself to write music, I'm really not worth being called an artist at all.” IfsWritingLooksArtistSongWillingCapableWounds Author:Lady Gaga
“Maybe in the back of my mind I was kind of wishing that I would become a rock star, kind of wishing that I would reach enough people who would be willing to pay me for the music, that I would actually be able to live off of just writing the songs that I wanted to write. But I don't think I really admitted to myself that that was my goal.” PeopleThinkingWritingMindKindEnoughWould BeAbleWantedSongWishStarsGoalPayRocksWillingRock StarOf My Mind Author:Jonathan Coulton
“It was not a choice of writing or not writing. It was a choice of loving my life or not loving my life. To keep writing was always a first priority.... I worked probably 25 years by myself.... Just writing and working, not trying to publish much. Not giving readings. A longer time than people really are willing to commit before they want to go public.” PeopleWantGivingWritingTryingYearsFirstsChoicesReadingWillingPrioritiesCommitPublish Author:Mary Oliver