Do you have a favorite quote, famous saying, or inspirational message in view as you write? How about scraps of paper with words of encouragement taped to your desk? I have a few of these—some old, some new. I love them. I need them. I keep them in plain sight to feed my soul, calm my mind, and keep my fingers moving words into being.
A few of my favorite things
Here are a few bits within reading distance of my keyboard. Some are thumbtacked to the bulletin board on the wall above my computer monitor, others appear on small papers taped to different levels of my writing desk. Over time, edges of the papers have curled and yellowed, but the power of their messages has not faded or failed me.
1. “But the writer who endures and keeps working will finally know that writing the book was something hard and glorious, for at the desk a writer must try to be free of prejudice, meanness of spirit, pettiness and hatred, strive to be a better human being than the writer normally is, and to do this through concentration on a single word, and then another, and another. This is splendid work, as worthy and demanding as any, and the will and resilience to do it are good for the writer’s soul.” —Andre Dubus
2. An orange and black label that reads, “Fragile: handle with care.”
3. A poem by George Herbert (1593 – 1633)
By all means use sometimes to be alone.
Salute thyself: see what they soul doth wear.
Dare to look in thy chest, for ‘tis thine own:
And tumble up and down what thou find’st there.
Who cannot rest till he good-fellows finde,
He breaks up house, turns out of doors his minde.
4. A bumper sticker advertising Winter with the Writers, the annual literary festival at Rollins College, my alma mater.
5. A lightweight wooden bookmark from a friend that states, “Though she be but little, she is fierce.”
6. “The only story that seems worth writing is a cry, a shot, a scream. A story should break the reader’s heart.” —Susan Sontag
7. From Dante’s Inferno – Canto 1: The Three Beasts, Virgil
Halfway through the journey we are living
I found myself deep in a darkened forest,
For I had lost all trace of the straight path.
Ah how hard it is to tell what it was like,
How wild the forest was, how dense and rugged!
To think of it still fills my mind with panic.
8. A small red card with white letters that states: “You Matter.”
I’d love to hear what quotes or mementos inspire you! What tidbits surround you as you sit down to write?
Jane McLean
At my desk: (1) the phrase “wan intensifiers” warning me not to use words like “very”—tell it like it is; (2) a vintage photo that was rejected for the cover of the book I’m finishing; (3) ukulele picks; (4) 2 little handmade nature journals; (5) 3 amethyst geodes, plus a big window that looks out into the Maine woods
Lara Lazenby
Perfect timing. I just cleared off my entire desk yesterday so I can move forward. But this remains:
I want people to look at their own scars and see
Strength
Faith
Hope
Healing
And a little magic
There’s a superhero in us all
Ruth Coe Chambers
Unknown author Food for thought.
The Story Tellers Creed
I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge
that myth is more potent than history
that dreams are more powerful than facts
that hope always triumphs over experience
that laughter is the only cure for grief
And I believe that love is stronger than death
Gloria Hines
Gloria Hines
Don’t let the past be your soul purpose
Your now is what matters
Niki Kantzios
Gee, I don’t have any words of wisdom taped up, but you all have inspired me to find something!
Liz Jameson
I saved an old name tag from a writers’ conference probably 25 years ago. In addition to my name, it had the following ancient quote from Epictetus: “If you want to be a writer, write.” The tag is yellowed and tattered, but the message still has as much impact today as it did when I received it, and it stays on my desk.
Charlene Edge
Wow, thanks everyone for sharing!
Warren
I adapted three comments from the book by Dwight Swain,”Techniques of the Selling Writer.”
Use feelings as motivators
Use rules as a check list
Use intelligence to know how to use both
From a good friend of mine who said when so ill he could not hold a paper cup:
HAPPY WRITING