write on

Um, you might notice there wasn't a books on tap last month. There was an author on tap, and it was a godsend I had that opportunity, because, well, I didn't really finish an entire book the month of April.

Yes, I still have a pulse. I am not in the Greenville County morgue. I've just been busy...doing some creative writing. And when I write the way I have been lately, I can't make myself focus on a novel. I can't let myself be distracted by another writer's voice. As B succinctly put it, "You're in output mode, not intake."

Leave it to the engineer to get straight to the point. 

But he's right. I've been in output mode. We're talking, "brain dump waking in the middle of the night with ideas fingers that won't type fast enough forgetting to eat sitting for hours on end at Due South Coffee" kind of mode.
 
I mean, last month I worked on a scene while watching UNC play in the National Championship. Let that sink in for a minute. I am not proud of this, exactly, but in my defense it was mostly the first half of the game I was doing it. And it kind of kept me from getting distracted and getting too freaked out. My Tar Heel boys sure know how to wear me out. But I digress.
 
I thought I'd show you a rundown of some of the best books that have inspired me as a writer and some particular passages that struck me. Most of them are aimed at creatives in general, so if you're a painter or a musician or whatever, these books are still applicable. If you're a writer, though, pay special attention.
 
I don't know if anything will come of my scribblings (errr, frantic typings), but I do know it's been a lot of fun. My advice? If you've got a creative bent, harness it and run with it, dear ones. I'm over here cheering you on.
 
xoxo,
E

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Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert

what spoke to me:
"Possessing a creative mind is like having a border collie for a pet; if you don't give it a job to do, it will find a job to do-- and you might not like the job it invents." (This is my new motto and basically the story of my life).
 
"If I am not actively creating something, then chances are I am probably actively destroying something--myself, a relationship, or my own peace of mind."
 
"Who do I think I am? I'll tell you who I am: I am a child of God, just like anyone else. I am a constituent of this universe. I have a right to collaborate with creativity, because I myself am a product and a consequence of creativity."

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A Million Little Ways, by Emily P. Freeman

what spoke to me:
"You may not be the first to say it, write it, create it, or believe it—but you saying it may be the first time someone finally hears. Yes, someone else can say it better, but that doesn’t mean you can’t say it too. Throw out your inhibitions and spin around in this crazy world of recycled ideas. There is nothing new to say. Say it anyway." (I have to remind myself of this daily).

"What if you desire to do a particular thing because God created you a particular way, not to tease you or make you miserable, but to actually mold you into becoming more like him, for his glory and the benefit of others? Could it be possible that the thing you most long for, the thing you notice and think about and wish you could do, is the thing you were actually made and equipped to do?" 

"Steven Pressfield writes in his bestselling book The War of Art, 'Self-doubt can be an ally. This is because it serves as an indicator of aspiration. It reflects love, love of something we dream of doing, and desire, desire to do it. If you find yourself asking yourself . . . ‘Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist?’ Chances are you are. The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death."

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Make It Happen, by Lara Casey

what spoke to me:
"The enemy of taking action is the false belief in 'someday.' Do the good you know you ought to do--and start now. Do it knowing that you might not have as much time as you think. The alternative is to do nothing, and that does, well, nothing. Don't wait to live."

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Story Genius, by Lisa Cron

what spoke to me:
"Here's something we probably don't need neuroscientists to tell us: the brain craves certainty. We like to know things for sure, so we can plan accordingly. I mean, we have an entire channel devoted solely to the weather, so we'll know if we should take a sweater when we head to the market. But let's face it, no one knows what the future will bring, even Al Roker on his best day. Sure, we expect certain things to happen--taxes will rise, Uncle Howard will ask embarrassing questions at Thanksgiving, and the Yankees will never have another season like '98. But because we can't be 100 percent positive, we tend to spend a lot of time wondering what if? Yes, we're dreamers, but with a purpose--we want to be able to survive the unexpected problems the future might have in store for us....Stories evolved as a way to envision the future and thus plan for the unexpected--lest those alternate scenarios catch us completely unaware."

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The Gifts of Imperfection, by Brene Brown

what spoke to me:
"Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

“There’s no such thing as creative people, and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don’t. Unused creativity doesn’t just disappear. It lives within us until it’s expressed, neglected to death, or suffocated by resentment and fear.” 

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