I recently gave a presentation to a group of high school students about being a self-published author. It hit the highlights of self-publishing, what it is, how it works and its pros and cons. Considering it was the first time I’ve spoken in front of a group of anyone who isn’t A) related to me or B) I’ve known for 20 plus years, I think it went well. I didn’t pass out due to anxiety and no one left in the middle (okay, one teacher did, but that’s because he had another class to teach – at least that’s what I am telling myself).
Anyway, after the presentation, a student came up and asked me if I ever suffer from writer’s block and what were my suggestions on how to overcome it. We chatted about how to focus on the writing as well as some tricks to use when you aren’t “feeling” it. It wasn’t until I got home that I remembered this Neil Gaiman quote which says it much better:
This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it’s done. It’s that easy, and that hard.
– Neil Gaiman
Simple enough when you think about it. You can’t just sit down in front of your computer or notepad and expect inspiration to hit. You have to actually write. And even if you aren’t a writer, the quote still applies. You have to start a project in order to finish it. The only way to finish, is to keep going, one little step at a time.
While this is my favorite quote on writing, there are lots of other quotes that speak to me as well. The Write Practice’s post on 29 Quotes that Explain How to Become A Better Writer is a great resource if you need some inspiration.
What’s your favorite quote, writing related or otherwise? Leave it in the comments below or email me at carolewolfeauthor@gmail.com
Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash