Books -- reading and writing.
Home, cooking, the weather.
And whatever connections I can make between these chapters of my life.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Beginnings

Inspired by the Florida SCBWI event in Miami and my fabulous critique group- Let's write!

There's nothing quite like a blank page/ computer screen.





Dusting off my trusty Scrivener. Putting all my scribbled notes into folders (the Scrivener kind).






I'm reading a few encouraging quotes about beginnings.

Here's a good one

That's how a good story starts. It doesn't spell everything out for you. A good story gives you something to think about. It raises as many questions as it answers.

~ Eric Kimmel
(via Bobbi Miller's website. Lots of good stuff for writers. CHECK IT OUT, HERE. )

How about this from a little notebook I scribbled in frantically during a Maryland SCBWI event. Maybe 2009? (I never throw notebooks away, do you?)

The only way to figure out who a character is is to write. Write a whole draft.
You will never know what you are doing. 
You will discover.
from Coe Booth, though possibly paraphrased, so don't quote me/her.

And another hastily scribbled note, from Roy Clark at the St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading, Fall, 2011:
Our writing standards are too high, too quick. Lower them at the beginning of a project. After you have a draft, raise your standards.


Here's to new beginnings, 2013. As we flip our January calendars, how are your beginnings?
Your revisions and your revisits?

Here's what's on my desk this morning. Enough inspiration! And now, to write.




6 comments:

Kristin McIlhagga said...

One of my current favorite quotes is by E.B. White - "We don't write what we know, we write what we wonder about."

Looking forward to hearing more from you! - Kristin

Robert Polk said...

Thank you for this post! Unlike my first manuscript which just flew onto the page, this second attempt at a beginning eludes me. I guess I must just dive in and write poorly until the way appears. Thanks for producing Glory Be - a rich and thoughtful work! Rob

Kimberley Griffiths Little said...

oI like these quotes! Good stuff to think about when you're beginning a new book. Have fun putting your ideas into Scrivener and experimenting with your own new beginning! Can't wait to read everything you write. xoxo

PragmaticMom said...

Such great advice!

Leslie Davis Guccione said...

Hoping for osmosis. Let it all seep into my brain and fire it up!

Augusta Scattergood said...

Thanks, ladies. I'm a huge fan of writerly quotes. Every ounce of inspiration counts!