Friday, August 21, 2009

Snippets of Inspiration

One of the reasons that I love attending conferences and workshops is that I find quotes and snippets of talks immensely inspiring. They are sort of like volts of electricity, but in a good way (not a finger in the socket way). They kick my brain into gear, steer me down new paths. So, here are my ten most recent personal favorite quotes and almost quotes:

1. Never forget the initial spark, the grain of sand that starts the pearl. Kathleen Duey

2. “Start a story as close to the end as possible.” Richard Peck

3. “Happy writing equals sad reading.” Richard Peck

4. “The first page of the story is the last page in disguise.” Richard Peck

5. “Trust yourself and know your truth.” Kadir Nelson

6. Writing is pulling our hearts from our chests and offering them to our readers. Karen Cushman

7. “Tell the truth and let go of the outcome.” Karen Cushman

8. “Give your pain to your characters.” Ellen Hopkins

9. “Literature lets us try on the life of someone else.” Holly Black

10.“Never shut up about your book.” Elizabeth Law

11. The importance in writing lies in putting yourself into your writing. Dinah Stevenson

Okay, so you've probably figured out by now that I lied—I put down eleven of my favorite quotes and snippets, not ten. Math has never been my strongest skill. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed these and can find a bit of inspiration in at least one of the eleven! Do you have any great quotes or snippets that you find inspiring? Want to share? I’d love to hear them!

3 comments:

  1. I like quote-snippits as well and you've got some great ones here.

    One of my favorites is:

    "I always thought that every word that managed to squeeze itself from my pen had to be immortal. Turns out they are all disposable. What a relief." --by Tom Howe

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  2. Love these, Cynthia. Thanks! They are indeed inspiring!

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  3. Thanks Tess and Crystal! And Tess, I love the quote from Tom Howe! Too funny and too true! : )

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