Look over the quotes on writing and writers in the far right column. Pick the one that resonates the most with you. Comment why. Be prepared to discuss your choice in class this Wednesday.
Technique alone is never enough. You have to have passion. Technique alone is just an embroidered potholder. – Raymond Chandler. I belive this quote is the one that I can best identify with because when I write with passion, that is when I write the best material. If you aren't writing passionatly then there isn't any feeling to what your writing.
"To be a writer is not to preach the truth, but to discover the truth." – Milos Kundera
This quote emphasizes why I write. I write to discover things about myself-whether it be my style, true ideals, or beliefs-as well as the outside world. To be a effective writer you need to discover as many perceptions as possible while still maintaining your own unique view of the world, which you come to via writing.
There are no dull subjects. There are only dull writers. – H.L. Mencken
I am continuously amazed how authors can write about those universal topics of love, death, etc. and still manage to portray them entirely different, and invoke entirely new pesepectives on the matter at hand. What you are writing about is not what is most significant. It's been written about before. What makes a piece of writing special and important is the writer's own perspective, experience, and outcome of what they are confronting.
The uncertainty of life is a topic that has been written about over and over again. But Fitzgerald states that it is "a promise that the rock of the world is founded securely on a fairy's wing." This example is one of many that forces me to keep trying to wring something special, unique, and meaningful out of those subjects that have been written about so many times before.
"I write one page of masterpiece to ninety one pages of shit. I try to put the shit in the wastebasket." – Ernest Hemingway
This is totally true for me, except instead of the one page being masterpiece, it's just okay. And I think I write a bit more than ninety pages of shit to that one, but the idea remains.
It is, however, inspiring to think of Hemingway struggling with issues in writing that may have been similar to my own. Also, it's easy to forget why I'm here at college sometimes, with all the gen ed classes, parties, and other crap I put myself through. This quote reminds me of my goal: to bring down my crap ratio, write more, and write better.
I write one page of masterpiece to ninety one pages of shit. I try to put the shit in the wastebasket. – Ernest Hemingway
I think that I relate to this quote the most because I am never satisfied with anything I write. I once spent months on a short story. All together I must have written about fifty pages, but in the end, my story was only about seven pages in length. Still now I look back at this piece of writing and I can pick out only a page of material that I am actually proud of. I think that is what it takes to write well. Sometimes you need to get through all the crap in order to uncover the good stuff.
The purpose of writing is to make your mother and father drop dead with shame. – J.P. Donleavy
I would rather die than show my parents half of the stuff I write, and it makes me sad because it's a reflection upon who I am. But I guess that's why I'm so hesistant to show them, because in the past my parents have had..issues I guess is the right word with choices I've made or things I choose to do or how I live my life. Slowly (mostly since I've been in college) I've been able to reveal more of myself to them in both my writing and in interaction with them. It makes me happy to know that J.P. Donleavy knows how it is.
Don’t you know all writers ever talk about is their troubles? – Sylvia Beach
I definitely relate to this quote best. When I first read it, I assumed what Beach meant by "talk about" was "write about" and I instantly related. I would say about 95% of what I write is completely negative. I often feel like writing when I am so passionately angry, upset, disturbed or depressed. I have tried to write when I am in a good mood but realized it is not only boring when I read it over, it's so boring to actually write it. If by "talk about" Beach literally meant talk, and I am now assuming she did, this quote is still true for me. My negative prose has to come from negative thoughts, and I have to admit I can be a downer to be around occasionally. I also complain a lot to the point where I am even annoying myself, let alone everyone around me. I have tried to change and be a more positive person, but honestly, I think my writing is pretty interesting when I am feeling negative. "Their troubles" is a bit too annoying sounding for me, and I like to think I complain about troubles in general, whether the troubles are mine or the world's.
All writing is addiction, and all writers are hooked. – Sadie Plant
The essence of writing is a burning need to immerse yourself in fiction. The feeling that I strive for is when a piece of writing really catching fire in my mind, when it becomes it's own creature. It's a powerful feeling and it's one of the essential things that writers strive for. No matter what I'm doing my mind tends to wander to writing.
“Coleridge was a drug addict. Poe was an alcoholic. Marlowe was stabbed by a man whom he was treacherously trying to stab. Pope took money to keep a woman's name out of a satire; then wrote a piece so that she could still be recognized anyhow. Chatterton killed himself. Byron was accused of incest. Do you still want to be a writer -and if so, why?” – Bennett Cerf
I was debating between this quote and Arthur Rimbaud’s, but I decided to stick with Cerf’s for my, possibly, odd connection. In some ways, I feel that I connect with other writers in this way. Sometimes I can picture myself writing poetry in and out of drinking spells, similar to many poets I remember hearing about. If that is good, I do not know.
I think there is a “dark side” to many good writers. Most writers seem to always have significant inner turmoil. I have reflections about life, relationships and society often and these are my inner turmoil. Facing their turmoil leaves writers more vulnerable to a dark side. Although, I have debated if that dark side was there first and the writing comes second. Part of me believes this idea more, because with the turmoil a person needs release and expression. Through writing there is a positive avenue for this.
Writers just tend to be odd, that’s all. It more or less is an instinct to be a writer, not a choice, so that is why I write.
"To be a writer in not to preach the truth, but to discover the truth." -Milos Kundera
Everytime I write, I think I'm expressing my feelings without being totally sure of myself. Usually when I read over my work, I get a clearer view of my point. I discover truth, truth I didn't even know would be able to seep through my words. The type of truth I didn't think I had the ability to interpret. This quote helps me realize that I may have an intention on expressing facts, but within my writing reveals myself, the true me.
"Don't you know all writers ever talk about is their troubles?" -Sylvia Beach.
This reiterated, as said in class, an interview with Edna O'Brien that focused on her mother's reaction to the ahead-of-its-time novel "Country Girls." The novel contained anti-religious symbolism and undertones throughout, plus sexuality. Her mother was not very happy with this, so she blacked out half of the book. As I recall, O'Brien recognized this and let it be, embracing the differences she had with her mother. To her, it represented why she wrote a novel that contained a rare look into the drudgery that was the life of a woman in Ireland in the 1930s and 40s.
Tension.
Without the pushing and pulling factors - the troubles and obstacles, challenges to convention, etc. - writers, generally speaking, would have very little to write about. So instead of writing about a walk through the park that highlights all of the beautiful sights and sounds, good writing is hinged on a problem. Problems create tension, and tension creates writing that is worth reading.
Coleridge was a drug addict. Poe was an alcoholic. Marlowe was stabbed by a man whom he was treacherously trying to stab. Pope took money to keep a woman's name out of a satire; then wrote a piece so that she could still be recognized anyhow. Chatterton killed himself. Byron was accused of incest. Do you still want to be a writer -and if so, why? – Bennett Cerf
During my Freshman year of High School my English teacher Jon Serri used to have the class write journal entries; it was very Freedon Writers, but without the racial war. Every week he would ask us a new question that we were supposed to answer in our entry, along with other entries.
When he found out that I wanted to write for a living he asked me to write an essay of my response to this quote and the question it poses. All I had to say was if some people were born with a silver spoon in their mouths then I as born with a Papermate pen.
As it was never a question of do I want to write. It was more along the lines of this is the only thing that makes sense, and without it you could say my life falls apart. I don't chose this, writing is just like oxygen for me.If I did have to chose something though, I would chose this all over again.
12 comments:
Technique alone is never enough. You have to have passion. Technique alone is just an embroidered potholder. – Raymond Chandler. I belive this quote is the one that I can best identify with because when I write with passion, that is when I write the best material. If you aren't writing passionatly then there isn't any feeling to what your writing.
"To be a writer is not to preach the truth, but to discover the truth." – Milos Kundera
This quote emphasizes why I write. I write to discover things about myself-whether it be my style, true ideals, or beliefs-as well as the outside world. To be a effective writer you need to discover as many perceptions as possible while still maintaining your own unique view of the world, which you come to via writing.
There are no dull subjects. There are only dull writers. – H.L. Mencken
I am continuously amazed how authors can write about those universal topics of love, death, etc. and still manage to portray them entirely different, and invoke entirely new pesepectives on the matter at hand. What you are writing about is not what is most significant. It's been written about before. What makes a piece of writing special and important is the writer's own perspective, experience, and outcome of what they are confronting.
The uncertainty of life is a topic that has been written about over and over again. But Fitzgerald states that it is "a promise that the rock of the world is founded securely on a fairy's wing." This example is one of many that forces me to keep trying to wring something special, unique, and meaningful out of those subjects that have been written about so many times before.
"I write one page of masterpiece to ninety one pages of shit. I try to put the shit in the wastebasket." – Ernest Hemingway
This is totally true for me, except instead of the one page being masterpiece, it's just okay. And I think I write a bit more than ninety pages of shit to that one, but the idea remains.
It is, however, inspiring to think of Hemingway struggling with issues in writing that may have been similar to my own. Also, it's easy to forget why I'm here at college sometimes, with all the gen ed classes, parties, and other crap I put myself through. This quote reminds me of my goal: to bring down my crap ratio, write more, and write better.
I write one page of masterpiece to ninety one pages of shit. I try to put the shit in the wastebasket. – Ernest Hemingway
I think that I relate to this quote the most because I am never satisfied with anything I write. I once spent months on a short story. All together I must have written about fifty pages, but in the end, my story was only about seven pages in length. Still now I look back at this piece of writing and I can pick out only a page of material that I am actually proud of. I think that is what it takes to write well. Sometimes you need to get through all the crap in order to uncover the good stuff.
The purpose of writing is to make your mother and father drop dead with shame. – J.P. Donleavy
I would rather die than show my parents half of the stuff I write, and it makes me sad because it's a reflection upon who I am. But I guess that's why I'm so hesistant to show them, because in the past my parents have had..issues I guess is the right word with choices I've made or things I choose to do or how I live my life. Slowly (mostly since I've been in college) I've been able to reveal more of myself to them in both my writing and in interaction with them. It makes me happy to know that J.P. Donleavy knows how it is.
Don’t you know all writers ever talk about is their troubles? – Sylvia Beach
I definitely relate to this quote best. When I first read it, I assumed what Beach meant by "talk about" was "write about" and I instantly related. I would say about 95% of what I write is completely negative. I often feel like writing when I am so passionately angry, upset, disturbed or depressed. I have tried to write when I am in a good mood but realized it is not only boring when I read it over, it's so boring to actually write it.
If by "talk about" Beach literally meant talk, and I am now assuming she did, this quote is still true for me. My negative prose has to come from negative thoughts, and I have to admit I can be a downer to be around occasionally. I also complain a lot to the point where I am even annoying myself, let alone everyone around me. I have tried to change and be a more positive person, but honestly, I think my writing is pretty interesting when I am feeling negative. "Their troubles" is a bit too annoying sounding for me, and I like to think I complain about troubles in general, whether the troubles are mine or the world's.
All writing is addiction, and all writers are hooked. – Sadie Plant
The essence of writing is a burning need to immerse yourself in fiction. The feeling that I strive for is when a piece of writing really catching fire in my mind, when it becomes it's own creature. It's a powerful feeling and it's one of the essential things that writers strive for. No matter what I'm doing my mind tends to wander to writing.
“Coleridge was a drug addict. Poe was an alcoholic. Marlowe was stabbed by a man whom he was treacherously trying to stab. Pope took money to keep a woman's name out of a satire; then wrote a piece so that she could still be recognized anyhow. Chatterton killed himself. Byron was accused of incest. Do you still want to be a writer -and if so, why?” – Bennett Cerf
I was debating between this quote and Arthur Rimbaud’s, but I decided to stick with Cerf’s for my, possibly, odd connection. In some ways, I feel that I connect with other writers in this way. Sometimes I can picture myself writing poetry in and out of drinking spells, similar to many poets I remember hearing about. If that is good, I do not know.
I think there is a “dark side” to many good writers. Most writers seem to always have significant inner turmoil. I have reflections about life, relationships and society often and these are my inner turmoil. Facing their turmoil leaves writers more vulnerable to a dark side. Although, I have debated if that dark side was there first and the writing comes second. Part of me believes this idea more, because with the turmoil a person needs release and expression. Through writing there is a positive avenue for this.
Writers just tend to be odd, that’s all. It more or less is an instinct to be a writer, not a choice, so that is why I write.
"To be a writer in not to preach the truth, but to discover the truth." -Milos Kundera
Everytime I write, I think I'm expressing my feelings without being totally sure of myself. Usually when I read over my work, I get a clearer view of my point. I discover truth, truth I didn't even know would be able to seep through my words. The type of truth I didn't think I had the ability to interpret. This quote helps me realize that I may have an intention on expressing facts, but within my writing reveals myself, the true me.
Way behind schedule, but here goes:
"Don't you know all writers ever talk about is their troubles?" -Sylvia Beach.
This reiterated, as said in class, an interview with Edna O'Brien that focused on her mother's reaction to the ahead-of-its-time novel "Country Girls." The novel contained anti-religious symbolism and undertones throughout, plus sexuality. Her mother was not very happy with this, so she blacked out half of the book. As I recall, O'Brien recognized this and let it be, embracing the differences she had with her mother. To her, it represented why she wrote a novel that contained a rare look into the drudgery that was the life of a woman in Ireland in the 1930s and 40s.
Tension.
Without the pushing and pulling factors - the troubles and obstacles, challenges to convention, etc. - writers, generally speaking, would have very little to write about. So instead of writing about a walk through the park that highlights all of the beautiful sights and sounds, good writing is hinged on a problem. Problems create tension, and tension creates writing that is worth reading.
Coleridge was a drug addict. Poe was an alcoholic. Marlowe was stabbed by a man whom he was treacherously trying to stab. Pope took money to keep a woman's name out of a satire; then wrote a piece so that she could still be recognized anyhow. Chatterton killed himself. Byron was accused of incest. Do you still want to be a writer -and if so, why? – Bennett Cerf
During my Freshman year of High School my English teacher Jon Serri used to have the class write journal entries; it was very Freedon Writers, but without the racial war. Every week he would ask us a new question that we were supposed to answer in our entry, along with other entries.
When he found out that I wanted to write for a living he asked me to write an essay of my response to this quote and the question it poses. All I had to say was if some people were born with a silver spoon in their mouths then I as born with a Papermate pen.
As it was never a question of do I want to write. It was more along the lines of this is the only thing that makes sense, and without it you could say my life falls apart. I don't chose this, writing is just like oxygen for me.If I did have to chose something though, I would chose this all over again.
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