1.) It is September! I don't love fall as much as spring on principle (winter inevitably follows fall, and I hate winter), but I have to admit that I'm giddy with the approach of autumn this year. Crisp weather. Apple pastries. Pumpkins. Jazz music. Tea. Mmmm. So let's celebrate September!
2.) I've got some serious tunnel-vision at the moment--due to my own self-enforced revision deadline--but I wanted to break out of it for a moment to share a quote that has endlessly inspired me over the years.
"Biting my trewand pen,
beating myself for spite,
'Fool,' said my Muse to me,
'Look in thy heart and write!'"
-Sir Philip SidneyI don't know what you're up to today, or this week, or this freshly-minted September, but if you're working on anything that isn't slipping onto the page as easily as an oily fish, I hope you'll take Sidney's Muse's advice. Today, tomorrow, whenever you find time to work on that little chunk of your soul that you've translated into words and plunked line by line onto the page, I hope you'll look in thy heart and write. Because that is, of course, where the best of our work comes from. It's so obvious, and yet so easy to forget.
Happy Thursday, dear Reader, and Happy September!
What a beautiful quote, and what excellent advice. I'll do just hat.
ReplyDeleteI awarded you the "One Lovely Blog Award" and "The Versatile Blogger".
Your blog is always so lyrical and lovely. I can't wait to read your book.
Thanks for posting this. I really needed it right now, you've no idea how much.
ReplyDeleteThis was awesome! Thank you for taking the time to post. I've made so many unreasonable goals for myself that I've stepped back and analyzed what I'm actually capable of.
ReplyDeleteOn Tuesday I wrote, and I hated it because everything I wrote sucked. However I believe in writing every day, even if it's just a comment.
So I opened up my notebook, and since I was working on first sentences, I wrote THE worst first lines I could think of (trust me it wasn't hard) so that I could stop thinking of them.
I'm hoping today when I write I have better luck, this quote keeps me going though!
Great advice! Especially because I'm getting ready to outline a new WiP... one that I already butchered in my first day-dreaming attempts at creating a story.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Oh, and since you mentioned Jazz... the show Cowboy Bebop (with AWESOME music) is great inspiration for stories. :D
I have been writing total poo for the last two days. I WILL snap out of this! Thank you for this bit of inspiration. I love Jen's idea too... maybe if I MAKE myself write poo, something good will happen instead. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy September!!
Melissa: You always have such sweet things to say. Thank you. And thanks for the awards! I'll come claim them soon!
ReplyDeleteDamyanti: I know how it feels to need things like this. Hope it helped!
Jen: I like your strategy. Isn't it awful when you have time to write but you feel like everything that goes onto the page just then is rubbish? At least we're not alone in that frustration. Hope you were pleased with your work today!
Giles: I hope your new WiP is going better than the first attempt. I'll have to check out Cowboy Bebop... sounds interesting, especially if there's jazz involved.
Michelle: Take courage-- it seems that writing poo is going around! Maybe it's like a virus that afflicts us all at the same time. I hope you had better luck today. :)
You're so inspiring.
ReplyDeleteMelissa beat me too it, but I also awarded you the versatile blogger award.
I have been looking forward to fall so much more this year as well, Hanna. Why is that!? We used to hate the end of summer!
ReplyDelete