Very often, both readers and writers look for words to inspire them. Sometimes
we find something particularly strong and beautiful in a book that we've read;
phrases from poems and novels can speak to us and inspire us. My best friend
when I was a teenager was particularly moved by The Great Gatsby by F. Scott
Fitzgerald; she copied sentences from the book that inspired her and put them
up on index cards in her room. It's because of her that I read the phrase, "Gatsby
lived for the green light" on the back of her bedroom door long before
I ever read the book itself. When I was looking for quotes to put in my high
school yearbook, one of the quotes I chose was from The Last Unicorn by Peter
S. Beagle. I had fallen in love with the opening of the book: "The unicorn
lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone. She was very old, though she
did not know it, and she was no longer the careless color of sea foam, but rather
the color of snow falling on a moonlit night." I put this quote in my yearbook
for a number of reasons; because it was beautifully written, because I had once
believed in unicorns (the land of Narnia also had lions and elephants –
how was I supposed to know?), and because that quote had been included in a
book called "The Unicorn Journal" that my French teacher had given
to me as a present. It was a book meant for a writer; the blank pages were framed
by pictures of and quotes about unicorns. My teacher knew that I loved fantasy
stories, that I loved writing, and that I was going through an unhappy period
in my life at that time. I treasured that book then and now, although I never
used it for its best purpose – I never wrote in it because I didn't want
to mess up the pages.
Most of the quotes that inspired me when I was younger were quotes from novels.
But since I've become a librarian, I've become exposed to many books by writers
about writing.
Write Where You Are: How to Use Writing to Make Sense of Your Life
by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg takes a unique approach. This book is excellent because
it delves into the psychology of writing, and discusses how writing anything
(stories, poems, or even journaling) can be a therapeutic way of dealing with
stresses in your life. I especially liked this book because scattered through
the pages are quotes from writers about the craft of writing, both the good
(when it's magical) and the bad (when it's frustrating). These are some of my
favorite quotes:
Everything a writer experiences as a young person goes into the later
writing at some form. – Lois Lowry
Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing
on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down. –
John Steinbeck
Creation is everything you do. Make something. – Ntozake
Shange
We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand.
– C. Day Lewis
Wherever I can find a place to sit down and write, that is my home.
– Mary TallMountain
I put things down on sheets of paper and stuff them in my pockets.
When I have enough, I have a book. – John Lennon
Don't ever hesitate to imitate another writer – every artist
learning his craft needs some models. Eventually you will find your own voice
and shed the skin of the writer you imitated. – William
Zinsser
Music is another way of thinking, or maybe thinking is another way
of music. – Ursula K. Le Guin
I take real people and put them in extraordinary situations.
– Robert Cormier
I think that the best thing about being a writer is that we get to
make up things and tell the truth at the same time. – Kyoko Mori
It's not enough to have imagination. You have to be able to tap into
it. – Stephen King
I've no idea where ideas come from and I hope I never find out; it
would spoil the excitement for me if it turned out I just have a funny little
wrinkle on the surface of my brain which makes me think about invisible train
platforms. – J. K. Rowling
The difference between the right word and the nearly right word is
the same as that between lightning and the lightning bug. – Mark
Twain
The wastepaper basket is the writer's best friend. –
Isaac Bashevis Singer
I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle
with human emotions. – James A. Michener
One of the joys of writing; you constantly encounter new experiences.
– Philip Pullman
For two years I received nothing but rejections. –
Judy Blume
I started collecting rejections slips when I was 12. –
Stephen King
Many famous writers have written autobiographies that focus on their own writing
experiences and also give advice on how to be a good writer. These are some
of my favorites:
Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons From a Writing Life
by Terry Brooks
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
The Making of a Writer by Joan Lowery Nixon
Any of these books can lead to new ideas, as well as words that you can write
down and keep wherever they will inspire you to write and keep writing: in the
pages of your journal, on a slip of paper inside your wallet, or even on an
index card on the back of your bedroom door.
