We’re writers. We love words. Characters. Conflict. Beginnings. Endings. The Muddled Middle — maybe not so much.
But despite our love for writing, the stories we long to tell, there are days our “want to” disappears. How can we encourage ourselves to dive back into our stories instead of turning on the TV or playing endless rounds of Words with Friends?
Here are five quotes to motivate you to write when your muse has gone a-wandering:
- “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.” Robert Frost (1874-1963, American poet (I’d heard the first part of this quote before, but not the second.)
- “Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.” Ray Bradbury (1920-2012), American fantasy, science fiction, mystery and horror writer
- ” A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” Thomas Mann (1875-1955), German novelist who won the Nobel prize in literature (Anyone else agree with this quote?)
- “The first sentences can’t be rewritten until the final sentence is written.” Joyce Carol Oates (1938-), American author (Hooray for the fast draft!)
- “I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” Anne Frank (1929-1945), teen girl who went into hiding during the Holocaust and journaled her experiences in the renowned work The Diary of Anne Frank
If your motivation is lagging, I hope one of these quotes encourages you to sit back down and get back to work. You’ve got a story to share with your readers. No more wasting time — go write something brilliant!