Write Already!Fun With Quotes

So how, exactly does one have fun with quotes?
Glad you asked! If you’re like me, you start by exchanging quotes on a daily basis with your Best Bud. But not just any quotes, writing quotes, to give each other inspiration. And then you pick the two best quotes of the week to share with the rest of the world - because ... why not? :-D

So apparently Jamie and I were on the same wave-length this week and one of the days we sent each other very similar quotes by two very dissimilar authors:

First we have Jamie’s quote:
Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.
—Louis L’Amour

Louis L’Amour was best known for his western novels (I loved the ones featuring the Sackett brothers) although he also wrote short stories, non-fiction, historical fiction, and my personal favourite a thriller called Last of the Breed. He published 100 novels and over 250 short stories, so when he advises you to write no matter what, you can bet he knows what he’s talking about.

But he’s far from the only author offering this piece of advice, as proved by my quote for the week:

I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work.
― Pearl S. Buck

Winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize, Pearl S. Buck was also a prolific writer, with over 100 works of literature to her credit. Whereas Louis L’Amour wrote mainly for entertainment, Pearl S. Buck endeavoured to raise the public’s consciousness on many issues such as racism, sex discrimination, and the plight of the unwanted babies left behind during military actions where American soldiers were based in Asia.

Ask any writer what top five pieces of advice they’d give to new writers and chances are “write every day” will be included. In fact, I did a Google search using “advice for aspiring authors” and almost every link I clicked on included the advice to just write already.

Some days it’s going to be easier than others. Some days the words will just flow out of you and other days you’ll suffer constipation of the mind. But it’s important to at least try. Set aside a specific amount of time - it could be 15 minutes, it could be an hour, but spend that time writing, even if it’s writing nonsense. Before you know it the words will be waiting for you when you sit down.