Fabulous news for writers!

We write, can’t help it, can’t fight it. But who reads?

I hopped the bus to work on a recent rainy morning, and was delighted to find five of my fellow passengers with novels under their noses. How many were busy with their cell phones or Blackberrys? Just one! And, wouldn’t you know it, of all the bleary faces on the bus, hers wore the only frown.

Clive Cussler loses control

“To the eye of a creative artist or designer, the mansions looked like monstrosities of architecture gone mad with ostentation.” - Clive Cussler, The Chase

Well, Clive, Daaaarling, “to the eye of a creative (writer)”, this sentence is a bit of a monstrosity. But how could we fault you, dear, for such a small touch of indulgence when the rest of your story is so very delicious. That’s right, Clive, this is your writer’s get outa’ jail free card. Hope you and your editor enjoy it : ) Don’t worry though, I’m workin’ my way through a whole stack of ‘em over here on my own.

Toni Morrison says it best…

“Writing is the only place where I’m not doing something that somebody else wants… What you want to make is this one little place like the facet of a diamond, just one little shape, and that’s where you live and that’s yours.” – Toni Morrison (quote taken from current August issue of American Vogue)

Click image to read Time Magazine's "10 Questions for Toni Morrison"

(photo source: www.amnestyusa.com)

If only this were true about writing!

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” – Aristotle

Sure, easy for a philosopher to say! If gardening was one of Aristotle’s pleasures, I doubt you’d have found his fellow Greeks lining up to argue the perfection of his produce. I mean really, would you argue with Aristotle (even if it was about a tomato)? As for us writers, we’re stuck with the old adage:

“Practice makes perfect.” – Everyone Else