Writerly Wednesday

I’ll be honest, with the holidays in full-swing, I’m low on time, and saving my words for my manuscript. But don’t worry! I still have some really good stuff for you to read. It’s just not my stuff.

“Watching Death” by Shreve Stockton

I watched a death today.  It was hard to be sad and hard not to be sad – it was a fast death after a long and good life, but that still doesn’t make it easy.

Animals, man. They are… amazing. They grow our hearts.

“Pwned: You’re No Shakespeare, Kid” by Jeff of Boys Don’t Read

Now, having gone through school and numerous critique groups, I’m amazed how little raw talent actually buys you. It’s about energy. Thick skin. An open mind. Caffeine. Those ingredients will take you far. Sure, there are exceptions. Writers who get published the first time they dash out a novel, their very first draft. But let’s face it, most of those people either have parents in publishing or are total assholes (geniuses). The rest of us? We work. We suffer. We live and develop as people and professionals. As we develop, we learn which of our stories are most worth telling, and we learn how to tell them.

Everything about this post reminded me of me. And as I said in the comments, after 20 or so years of coasting on whatever amount of smarts and talent I was born with, it’s been hard to retrain myself.

“Teaching and Purpose” by Jon Chopan

I did not become a writer or a teacher of writing because it seemed easy, or because it was something I happened upon. Instead, I did not want to be in cahoots with the nightmare. Creativity, it seems to me, is the most powerful tool we have as human beings. It is what makes us capable of war, of hate, of truly despicable forms of violence. But, too, it is what makes us capable of compassion, of love, of empathy. And I believe that by fostering the creativity born of writing, born in well told stories and in boldly written poems, that we are contributing to a kind of creative power that is much needed.

Enough said.


6 responses to “Writerly Wednesday”

  1. Sonje Avatar

    Great quotes as usual. :) The second one reminds me of that quote, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

  2. Kristan Avatar

    Andy LOVES that saying.

  3. Les Avatar

    Ohhh that first one made me sad. In a good way though, I guess.

  4. Becky Wallace Avatar

    Awesome quotes, Kristan! Love the reminder that raw talent isn’t everything!

  5. Kristan Avatar

    Les-
    I know what you mean.

    Becky-
    Thanks! Their blog (Boys Don’t Read) is really good.

  6. Yilin Wang Avatar

    Excellent quotes! I really liked “Watching Death”. The tone is very powerful.

    P.S. I found you blog through Writer Unboxed. It looks great! Look forward to reading more of your writing.