Quote of the Day

I absolutely love this quote:

If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.

 —Elmore Leonard

Quote of the Day

If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. 

--Stephen King

Two Things on Tuesday

Thing One:

Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts.

                                                            --Anne Lamott

Thing Two:

Writing for children is murder. A chapter has to be boiled down to a paragraph. Every word has to count.

 
                                                                 --Dr. Seuss

Quote of the Day

Writers are always anxious, always on the run — from the telephone, from responsibilities, from the distractions of the world.

--Edna O'Brien

Two Things on Tuesday

Thing One

Some photos from the filming of How to Steal a Dog in South Korea:

Thing Two

 

Every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action.

--Kurt Vonnegut 

Things I Love Thursday

I love this answer from songwriter David Byrne when asked about working on a daily basis:

Are you a writer who will work on songs on a daily basis, regardless of whether you’re feeling inspired?

Yes. I still think you have to wait for the inspiration, but unless you’re there, waiting at the bus stop, you ain’t gonna get on the bus. If you’re doing other things all day, a song ain’t gonna get on the bus.

[So get on up there to the bus stop, y'all.]

 

Two Things on Tuesday

Thing One

Some days I fear writing dreadfully, but I do it anyway. I've discovered that sometimes writing badly can eventually lead to something better. Not writing at all leads to nothing.

--Ann Quindlen 

Thing Two

Came across this from School Library Journal during a recent office cleanup. I made a gazillion Yoohoo boats for this.

  

Words of wisdom

The construction is the most important goddamned thing. It’s like building a house–you have to build the outside properly before you put the bits and pieces inside afterward. 

Get your story, get your architecture right, and you can always add your dialogue afterwards. A story starts at the beginning, it develops, it works itself out, and it works up to its finale. 

The great essence of construction is to know your end before your beginning; to know exactly what you’re working up to; and then to work up to that end. To just start off and wander on the way isn’t any good whatever… because you’re wallowing.

--Billy Wilder

Two Things on Tuesday

Thing One

I am so looking forward to going to one of my MOST favorite schools tomorrow. And how can I not love seeing this as the students prepare?

Thing Two

Don’t sit down in the middle of the woods. If you’re lost in the plot or blocked, retrace your steps to where you went wrong.

—Margaret Atwood 

 

Two Things on Tuesday

Thing One

"Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them — in order that the reader may see what they are made of."

--Kurt Vonnegut

Thing Two

From the 4th graders at Killam Elementary in Reading, MA

 

Two Things on Tuesday

Thing One:

"Other people's books are the greatest teachers of writers."

--Rosemary Wells

Thing Two:

Because I visit 1,245,677 schools a year, I keep records to help me remember them. (I usually return to the same schools each year when working locally).

I make notes about everything from weird parking issues to equipment needs to reminders to stay away from the chicken nuggets on Wednesdays.

I was recently going through my records from past years and came across this one: 

"Parent volunteer brought me a sandwich. Teacher with a hyphenated name was fantastic."

(Goes to show you how much that sandwich must have meant to me. Heh...)

 

Quote of the Day

I still close my eyes and go home. I can always draw on that.

--Dolly Parton

Quote of the Day from a Smart Teacher

Great authors dig deep into details, their memories, their senses, and their hearts so the reader can understand the story better.

Quote of the Day

Get in. Get out. Don't linger

--Raymond Carver

Quote of the Day

Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong word.

--Mark Twain

Quote of the Day

I type in one place, but I write all over the house.

--Toni Morrison

Quote of the Day

Old authors never die. You can find them at a Comfort Inn.

-- Jack Gantos.

Quote of the Day

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.

- Sir Richard Steele

Quote of the Day

George Burns said:

The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending, then having the two as close together as possible.

Take out the word "sermon" and insert "children's book."

There ya go...

Deja vu all over again

This quote showed up on my Google home page:

I think it is good that books still exist, but they do make me sleepy.

--Frank Zappa

I liked it so much I decided to blog it.

Then I had this deja vu feeling.

I did a search on my blog.

I posted this two years ago.

I'm so predictable.