Blog Archives
Inspirational Writing Quotes from Famous Authors
Here are a few favorite quotes about writing to help inspire writers everywhere. Whether you’re a fiction writer, nonfiction writer, or poet, these inspirational quotes on writing will put the pen back in your hand with renewed passion. So stop for a moment, step away from the keyboard, and soak in these eclectic author quotes on writing.
- And as imagination bodies forth
The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen
Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing
A local habitation and a name. – William Shakespeare (from A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
- I knew nothing about writing and have merely tried to tell an interesting story entertainingly. I have been successful probably because I have always realized that . – Edgar Rice Burroughs
- Prose is architecture, not interior decoration. – Ernest Hemingway
- Why one writes is a question I can answer easily, having so often asked it of myself. I believe one writes because one has to create a world in which one can live. I could not live in any of the worlds offered to me — the world of my parents, the world of war, the world of politics. I had to create a world of my own, like a climate, a country, an atmosphere in which I could breathe, reign, and recreate myself when destroyed by living. That, I believe, is the reason for every work of art – Ansais Nin
- A blank piece of paper is God’s way of telling us how hard it is to be God. – Sidney Sheldon
- Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he’ll eventually make some kind of career for himself as writer. – Ray Bradbury
- Evil is always possible. Goodness is a difficulty – Anne Rice
- If you have other things in your life—family, friends, good productive day work—these can interact with your writing and the sum will be all the richer. – David Brin
- I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose. – Stephen King
- Words are a lens to focus one’s mind. – Ayn Rand
- Not that the story need be long, but it will take a long while to make it short. – Henry David Thoreau
- A writer without interest or sympathy for the foibles of his fellow man is not conceivable as a writer. – Joseph Conrad
- Half my life is an act of revision. – John Irving
- Poetry creates the myth, the prose writer draws its portrait. – Jean-Paul Sartre
- It is the writer who might catch the imagination of young people, and plant a seed that will flower and come to fruition. – Isaac Asimov
- The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp. The reader, reading it, makes it live: a live thing, a story. – Ursula K. Le Guin
- Only in men’s imagination does every truth find an effective and undeniable existence. Imagination, not invention, is the supreme master of art as of life. – Joseph Conrad
- There’s no such thing as writer’s block. That was invented by people in California who couldn’t write. – Terry Pratchett
- Tell the readers a story! Because without a story, you are merely using words to prove you can string them together in logical sentences. – Anne McCaffrey
- If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.
– Edgar Rice Burroughs
Heard any inspirational or funny quotes by your favorite authors? Please leave me a comment!
Solitaire
REMEMBER all those who fought for our freedom!!!
Take time today and remember all the men and women who fought for our freedom!
Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in our country’s armed forces. The holiday, which is observed every year on the last Monday of May, originated as Decoration Day after the American Civil War in 1868, when the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans, established it as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Memorial Day eventually extended to honor all Americans who died in the Military Service.
“THE FALLEN”
A Poem by Robert Laurence Binyon (1869-1943), published in The Times newspaper on 21st September 1914.
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
“Thank You” to all our fallen soldiers! We will remember you always!
Solitaire
Woohoo, it’s Memorial Day Weekend!!!
Hi, Solitaire here. It’s that occasion again – Memorial Day Weekend. Time to take a break, even if it’s a short one, to spend some quality moments with family, or just relax and do something other than work. You deserve it! As an author, that’s hard for me to do. Not the spending time with family part, but the not using the time to write part. I almost feel guilty not using every spare moment to sit down at my computer and continue to write my latest novel. I think that’s probably a universal feeling with most authors. But like any profession, authors need to get away from their chosen profession once in a while. So take this weekend to unwind a little, and maybe it will spur those creative minds on to bigger and better ideas for your up and coming writing endeavors!
Have a great mini-vacation and enjoy some much needed relaxation! Happy Writing!
Solitaire
You can check out my just released Dragomeir Series Book Two, “Flight of the Aguiva” here –
Does Dialogue have you stumped?
Today I came across some great tips concerning dialogue from a regular contributor to CreateSpace.com, Maria Murnane. (www.mariamurnane.com) She writes romantic comedies and provides consulting services on book publishing and marketing. So I thought I’d share what I thought were some helpful pointers.
- Look who’s talking.
A common problem is that the characters all sound the same, so the readers have a hard time telling them apart. As a result, the readers get confused, annoyed, distracted, or all of the above – none of which you want to happen. If you want your readers to become invested in your characters, you need to bring those characters to life – and dialogue presents a wonderful opportunity to do just that! So when your characters speak, have them make an impression. Are they sarcastic? Jaded? Bitter? Happy? Sad? Pessimistic? Optimistic? Loyal? Funny? Do they use their hands a lot when they speak? Do they lower their voice when they gossip? Do they chew gum? Do they have a particular gesture or body tic that gives away what they’re feeling? You may have heard the expression “show, don’t tell,” and this is a great example of that. Don’t tell us what the characters are like, let them show us.
- Does your dialogue sound realistic?
When I read a book with dialogue that doesn’t ring true, instead of getting sucked into the story I find myself thinking, “Who talks like that? No one would say that.” You want your readers focused on the story, not on the problems with your writing. A good way to avoid having unrealistic dialogue in your own writing is to read it out loud. This may sound a little crazy, but it works! After awhile you will be writing the way people actually talk and your dialogue will be realistic. You want to create strong, believable characters that your readers will care about, so take the time to give them lines that will allow that to happen. With every conversation you write, ask yourself “Does this sound believable?” That might seem daunting at first, but over time it will get easier. It will be well worth the effort. Your readers – and your characters – will be grateful.
- Turn the beat around.
A “beat” is a description of the physical action a character makes while speaking, and good beats can bring your characters to life and make your dialogue pop right off the page. Beats can also help you show your readers instead of telling them. (Misuse of show, not tell is a common mistake many first-time authors make. Remember that readers don’t like to be told what to think
Example #1
A) “I told you, I’m not going!” John shouted, furious.
B) John slammed his fist on the table, his nostrils flaring. “I told you, I’m not going!”
John is clearly angry. But in example A, we know this because we are told so.
In example B, we know this because we are shown it.
Example #2:
A) “You’re really not going?” Karen said, incredulous.
B) Karen’s jaw dropped. “You’re really not going?”
We know Karen is incredulous, but why do we know this?
In A, we’re told what to think, and in B, we’re left to decide on our own what to think.
Well-placed beats make your writing richer, fuller, and better. And good writing, like good teaching, engages your readers and lets them draw their own conclusions.
- Use contractions in dialogue.
Well written dialogue draws you into the story and makes you feel like the people speaking are real. So to write good dialogue, use language that sounds the way people actually talk. And in English, that includes contractions. A lot of them. Without contractions, people sound more like robots than real people. (Did not becomes didn’t; Is not becomes isn’t; Do not becomes don’t; I am becomes I’m; He is becomes he’s, etc.) Contractions aren’t often used in formal writing, but they are for informal conversation, especially in the United States. So perhaps you should review your own dialogue to see if it passes the robot test.
- Dialogue doesn’t necessarily impact the plot, but it impacts character development, which is just as important.
Once you have completed your novel, read it over again. You may need to tweak the dialogue a bit, especially in the early chapters. Your characters have probably evolved, and some of the early lines may no longer fit their personalities. Good stories do a wonderful job of creating characters who are like real people to the audience, and that’s what you want to do with your manuscript. So when you’re finished, go back and read that dialogue with fresh eyes. Do you think it rings true throughout for each of your characters? If it doesn’t, change it! That’s the fun thing about being the author – it’s all up to you.
Have any tips that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them.
Solitaire
Want to Improve Your Online Presence?
In my Internet travels I am always on the lookout for sites that are not only helpful to me as an author/writer, but that may also be interesting to other readers. Today’s little gem is called “KATHARINE WRITES, Be Online Better.” Katharine is a writer, blogger, and online presence strategist, and her website is packed with great insights on a multitude of topics – one of them being Blogging. Here is a great link to check out if you’re a newbie to blogging or if you just want to improve on what you are already doing. So take a look – Katharine has quite a bit of information that you might find helpful. Don’t forget to scroll down the page to her “TOPICS” section to find other useful information on
- Blogging
- Social Media
- Freelancing
- Copywriting
- Marketing
- And much more. So check this out –
http://katharine-writes.com/category/blogging/
Do you know of any other terrific websites that would be interesting or helpful that you would like to share? Please leave me a comment!
Location – Location – Location – THE SOUTHWEST DESERTS
The primary location of my book, “The Emerald Dragon”, is in the deserts of the Southwestern United States. So the following is a short description of those deserts for anyone that might find it interesting. My lead character, Tanis, finds it to be one of the most beautiful places on earth.
The Sonoran Desert covers large parts of the Southwestern United States in Arizona and California, and of Northwestern Mexico in Sonora, Baja California and Baja California Sur. It is the hottest desert in North America, with an area of 280,000 square kilometers (110,000 sq mi). The western portion of the United States–Mexico border passes through the Sonoran Desert. It is home to the cultures of over seventeen contemporary Native American tribes, with settlements at American Indian reservations in California and Arizona, as well as populations in Mexico.
The desert includes 60 mammal species, 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, over 100 reptile species, 30 native fish species, over 1000 native bee species, and more than 2,000 native plant species. The area southwest of Tucson and near the Mexican border is a vital habitat for the only population of Jaguars living within the United States.
The Sonoran is the only place in the world where the famous saguaro cactus grows in the wild. Cholla , beavertail, hedgehog, fishhook, prickly pear, nightblooming cereus, and organ pipe are other types of cacti found here. Shrubs include the creosote bush, bur sage, indigo bush, and Mormon tea. It also has wildflowers such as desert sunflowers, sand verbena, and evening primroses. There are also desert willows, palo verde trees, ocotillo, and desert ironwood.
The Mojave Desert includes both the infamous Death Valley and slightly less infamous Las Vegas Valley. An existence in the Mojave means coping with a range of extreme conditions. It is considered a hot-cold desert, meaning it’s hot in the summer — but also extremely cold in the winter, dipping below freezing at night. These extremes have led to plant and animal species that are uniquely adapted to the Mojave. The desert averages about five inches of precipitation a year. Death Valley, which is about 282 feet below sea level, is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, and is in the Mojave Desert. It is also the hottest and the driest point in North America. In fact, it is the second hottest place on the Earth; 134 degrees Fahrenheit is the highest temperature ever recorded here. This region also consists of several high-rising mountain peaks, like the Telescopic peak, which is about 11,000 feet high.
The desert is home to numerous unique and interesting plant and animal species that have adapted to this arid landscape. Although the Mojave isn’t home to a large amount of plant life, it is home to numerous unique and interesting plant and animal species that have adapted to this arid landscape. It is home to mistletoe, a well-known Christmas decoration, and also to the slow-growing Joshua trees, which are actually not trees, but water-storing succulents. These plants grow to between 20 and 70 feet in height and live around 150 years.
The Mojave is home to the camel spider, the short-horned lizard, rattlesnakes, king snakes, a wide variety of lizards and the desert tortoise. Small desert mammals include the antelope squirrel, the kangaroo rat, jack rabbit, desert cottontail, the coyote, kit fox, and the bobcat. Large herbivores include big horn sheep, mule deer and wild burros. Predatory birds include the red-tailed hawk, barn owl, golden eagle and roadrunner. Scavengers include vultures and ravens. Herbivores include Gambel’s quail and the mourning dove.
You’ll discover a whole new world in the desert at Mt. Drago, the home of Tanis, and his dragon, Demios, in Book One of the Dragomeir Series, “The Emerald Dragon.”
Book Two, “Flight of the Aguiva” will be out very soon! The adventure continues . . .
CREATURE FEATURE – Solitaire Parke – Inspiration – Where does it come from?
I have had the most spectacular dreams since I was a kid. These dreams were chronological, so every subsequent night’s sleep picked up where the previous one left off. I took notes on almost all of them and they ended up as poems, stories, and eventually full novels. I dreamed about people, places and things complete with history and background. The creatures were plausible and could have existed during certain times in our history. The science was at least possible, depending on the physical environment as shown and described.
To say that I have an overactive imagination would be an understatement, and quite frankly, I have no idea why I began dreaming like that. I realize it fundamentally changed me very early on. I have enjoyed almost all of the dreams, even the ones that were nightmarish. I have a constant need to write this stuff down, and I don’t believe I’ll ever get to the end of the ideas (dreams) no matter how fast I write.
As a result of this unusual behavior I have decided to list myself as a part of the creature features on the blog. I only hope everyone enjoys reading my books as much as I do writing them. Check out my books HERE.
What inspires you? I’d love to hear about it, so send me a comment!
Solitaire
“Flight of the Aguiva” Update
Well, we’re almost there. “Flight of the Aguiva” has moved into the second wave of editing and beta reading. From the author’s point of view, that’s like beating it on a rock to see if it’ll break. Once it’s past that, we’re pretty much home free. A big shout out to the beta readers, you guys rock! I truly believe it’s harder to edit a book than it is to write one. Without the editing staff, no one’s book would ever make it to the light of day, so thanks again guys.
I’ll put up the release date just as soon as the editors tell me, so check back often. Thank you for the continued support of the Dragomeir Series.
Solitaire . . .
Happy Holidays – Merry Christmas!!!
It’s that time of year again. . . The Holidays! The Christmas tree, THE Christmas tree went up in Commons at Mt. Drago. This one is special, and has been decorated differently for the first time ever. We thought it was time to honor the very creatures that we hold stewardship to. They love everything about Christmas and take part in all of the festivities. This year we asked the kids of Mt. Drago to pick their favorite dragon and create a Christmas ornament for them. At the end of the season all of the ornaments will be gathered up and boxed for next year’s season. Hopefully we’ll do that again in all the years to come. We snapped a photo so you could see this year’s tree as well. We hope you enjoy it!
Solitaire Parke - Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books 