inspiration

My writing process often begins with a question. I write down ideas and let them stew for about a year. Then, when I sit down to write, I make a list of characters and try to see how they fit. Cynthia Voigt

Inspired by a conversation with a friend of mine, your April challenge is to complete the following to create One Perfect Sentence: The split second before I hit . . . The rules are simple: Each entry must be ONE sentence only, as defined by the basic rules of English grammar. We will...

“The common stories are one plus one equals two. We get it, they make sense. But the good stories are about one plus one equals three.” Ken Burns

I always wanted to be somebody, but next time I’ll be more specific. Lily Tomlin

“I will never be an old man. To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am.” Francis Bacon

...what captures the vibe of your current or most recent work? I've found a music break with evocative songs (preferably while on a walk) to be helpful in that "marathon of the middle." It helps me hold steady and maintain atmosphere and tone. Or, at least, I like to think it does. For me, it's...

Never look back unless you are planning to go that way. Henry David Thoreau

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. Steve Jobs

David Lodge was one of my literary heroes and a true comic genius. David Lodge, Campus Trilogy novelist and academic, dies aged 89

“A year from now you may wish you had started today.” Karen Lamb

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice.” T. S. Eliot

“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.” Melody Beattie

He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life. Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think every novel is a rite of passage . . . there seems to be a karmic force in my imagination where even if I threw something away, it would just come back. Like maybe I wanna try to throw this away and not write this, but it would just resurrect itself in a new form. I can’t really get...

“Instead of being afraid of the challenge and failure, be afraid of avoiding the challenge and doing nothing.” Soichiro Honda

An artist's duty is rather to stay open-minded and in a state where he can receive information and inspiration. You always have to be ready for that little artistic Epiphany. Nick Cave

“Imagination is like a muscle. I found out that the more I wrote, the bigger it got.”