Quotes for the Struggling Writer #WritingWednesday

People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily. That’s a famous quote from Zig Ziglar. How apt for the struggling writer or artist, right? How fitting for us who strive to be better with our craft but is always bombarded by distractions, trials, and challenges along the way. We should keep on motivating ourselves and what better way to do that than finding encouraging quotes for the struggling writer and learning from the lessons they teach.

Quotes for the struggling writer and lessons they teach

Read a thousand books, and your words will flow like a river. – Lisa See

Don’t you sometimes find it hard to express what you wanted to say? The emotions, the thoughts, the story seem so hard to explain in written words. You know how it is but you can’t picture it for your readers. When speaking, people say often, “The word is already at the tip of my tongue.”

Writing could be like that. You struggle to find the write adjective to describe your noun. If you read a lot you will have a vast vocabulary. Your writing style will be varied too. Take Lisa See’s word. Read as many books as you can so you can write without struggling to find the words for your story.

Was I bitter? Absolutely. Hurt? You bet your sweet ass I was hurt. Who doesn’t feel a part of their heart break at rejection? You ask yourself every question you can think of, what, why, how come, and then your sadness turns to anger. That’s my favorite part. It drives me, feeds me, and makes one hell of a story. -Jennifer Salaiz

J.K. Rowling was rejected “loads of times” according to her before Harry Potter was published. The first agent told her the folder she sent her work with didn’t fit her envelope. It was a big deal because she and her daughter were living off government benefits back then. A folder costs a lot for a single mother who has almost nothing. Another agent also sent her a rude rejection letter. Rejections however never stopped her from trying. She shared to her Twitter followers, “I had nothing to lose and sometimes that makes you brave enough to try.”

It is normal to be bitter, to feel hurt, or even get angry when your work gets rejected. You labored on it day in and day out, poured out your heart and soul into it, and spent time, money, and effort. For someone to say your work is not enough is like being told your baby is ugly.

Do not let one or a few opinions stop you from doing what you do and making your dreams come true. Use it as a fuel. Turn it into an inspiration. Make it your foundation to build a story that will leave the world speechless.

If I waited for perfection… I would never write a word. –Margaret Atwood

Do not wait for the perfect moment. Don’t wait for the inspiration to happen. If you want everything to be perfect first; the temperature of your room, everything and everyone to be perfectly quiet, your mood, the quality of the paper you are writing on, you will not be able to start writing at all.

You can’t wait for perfection to come, because it never will. Just write. Let the words flow. Write without criticising your spelling, your grammar, or your choice of words. Write with abandon. Only when you have done pouring out everything should you start proof-reading. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You are not perfect, so don’t expect perfection in your writing—at least not right away. Do not strive to use words that you do not usually use to sound like an expert. If it will bore you, it will probably do the same to your readers.

I start with a question. Then try to answer it. – Mary Lee Settle

You have been staring at the blank page of paper for a long time now, or maybe blinking back at the blinking cursor on your monitor screen. What do you write about? Why not write with a question in your head and try to answer it? Write a question that has been bothering you and work through it as you write. You’ll find that there are people who are going through the same journey; just as lost and confused as you are who are also searching for answers. Be their guide. Answer it for them or with them. Your readers will appreciate the effort you put into your work.

Serious writers write, inspired or not. Over time they discover that routine is a better friend than inspiration. – Ralph Keyes

I love writing when I’m inspired. There is this tingling like sensation at the tip of my fingers. When I feel inspired to write, I have to put down whatever I’m doing, open a new Word document and start hammering on my keyboard. I have to get up and grab a paper and a pen if I’m already lying down, to immortalize the words on paper before it starts drifting away and I lost it upon waking up. That feeling is usually fleeting.

Inspiration is good. Problem is it does not come as often as we want it to. So what do you do as a writer? Do you sit around and wait for that feeling to visit you again? No. A serious writer writes, whether he feels like it or not. Through time, you will realize that if you write regularly, inspired or not, writing will come naturally to you.

The life of a writer is never easy. You may be doing what you love but that does not exempt you from facing giants along the way. You just have to keep moving, or more appropriately, keep writing. Find your inspiration in every day. Encourage yourself to do more and do better and never stop. You story of struggle today will turn into a sweet success story tomorrow that will inspire struggling writers like you to persevere and never give up on their dreams.

 

 

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#WritingWednesday

We’re introducing #WritingWednesday on The Frangipani Creative.

Prompts:

1. Fiction – On the first day of school, two best friends discover a frightening secret about one of their teachers. (1200 Creative Writing Prompts for fiction)
2. Recall a memorable (delightful, brilliant, cruel) teacher from your school days.