Writer Quotes at Starbucks
Laura Drake and Fae Rowen were incredibly lucky to get to sit with James Scott Bell during the April OCC/RWA meeting and at lunch. He's a down-to-earth guy with no pretense. Best of all, he agreed to share a personal look at his writing process–through quotes of well-known authors–to give us a mid-week shot of inspiration.
I collect quotes from writers on all aspects of the writing life. They open up little windows in my mind and help me see things I might miss on my own. I like to review these quotes from time to time. It makes me feel I'm in on a big conversation about my profession, with a bunch of very cool and experienced people. The only thing missing is the Starbucks.
Actually not, as I'm typing this right now at my favorite table at my favorite Starbucks. I'll just pretend it was Ray Bradbury who bought me that first cup, as he sits down with me and says,
"I do a first draft as passionately and as quickly as I can. I believe a story is only valid when it is immediate and passionate, when it dances out of your subconscious. If you interfere in any way, you destroy it.... Let your characters have their way. Let your secret life be lived. Then at your leisure, in the succeeding weeks, months or years, you let the story cool off and then, instead of rewriting, you RELIVE IT. If you try to rewrite, which is a cold exercise, you'll wind up with all kinds of Band-Aids on your story, which people can see."
Thanks, Ray. When I read your work that's exactly the impression I get, that your incredible imagination has been frolicking around in the fields and having fun. And by the way, thank you for The Illustrated Man, which was one of those life changing books for me. When I read it in junior high, I thought, Man, to be able to write that way someday…
Ah, I see that Henry David Thoreau, looking awfully good for a dead guy, has joined us. First thing out of his mouth is,
"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live."
Right on, Hank. If there's nothing of value inside the writer, how can there be anything of value for the reader? And you can't buy value, like vowels on Wheel of Fortune. You have to earn it by living. Reminds me of something I heard once, that a writer really doesn't have much to write about until he's 40. That may be a bit high, but there's something to it, I think. Live first, write second.
Here's Barnaby Conrad, the man who started the famous Santa Barbara Writers Conference, and a terrific writer himself. As he drags a chair over, he says,
"Remember, almost no writer had it easy when starting out. If they did, everyone would be a bestselling author. The ones who make it are the stubborn, persistent people who develop a thick skin, defy the rejection, and keep the material out there, trolling."
Boy, is that ever true, Barnaby. When I wrote my first screenplay, I thought it was a work of pure, natural genius. The first industry friend who read it said, "You don't have it." I first thought she meant I didn't have any talent (as some of my former criminal clients have averred). But she explained I didn't have it ON THE PAGE. I realized I had a big learning curve ahead of me.
I wrote six full length screenplays over the next two years or so, before I landed with a Hollywood agent and began getting anywhere. Before that, I almost broke a knuckle knocking on doors and getting them slammed in my puss.
Which is why Andre Dubus, who has brought his latte to our table, interjects,
"Don't quit. It's very easy to quit during the first ten years."
That catches the ear of the ghost hanging out with Thoreau, George Bernau, who wrote Promises to Keep and other novels. He was a practicing attorney when he got into a car accident and almost died. In the hospital he took stock of his life, and, as he reminds us,
"I decided that I would continue to write as long as I lived, even if I never sold one thing, because that was what I wanted out of my life."
If you have the desire to write, then make the decision now that you'll write – strongly, passionately, with a commitment to your craft – no matter what.
How have you overcome the circumstances in your life that make it difficult to write? What keeps you going in those solitary, stolen hours at your computer?
James Scott Bell is the bestselling author, most recently of the thriller Don't Leave Me. He's also the author of numerous books on the craft of writing, including the popular Plot & Structure from Writer's Digest Books. Visit his website at http://www.jamesscottbell.com.
19 comments on “Writer Quotes at Starbucks”
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I love good quotes. We need instruction on craft and business and all that, but we also need inspiration and reminders that the difficult path we're on has already been passed by others. Ours is as much an emotional art as a technical one.
You've given me the inspiration to dive into the cold WIP I've been avoiding, James. Thank you.
Brilliant! I'm printing this out and posting to the wall beside my desk. What a thrill to stumble upon James Scott Bell here at WITS! James was the guest speaker at our chapter conference last October and I'm still smiling. His words hum in my ear as I maneuver the potholes of this writer's life.
Reblogged this on Ella Quinn ~ Author and commented:
Loved this post.
I wish I'd known of Ray Bradbury's quote when I was writing the first draft of my current WIP. It would have saved me to much angst as I tried to control my characters.
I agree, Ella. That quote is priceless!
His book Zen in the Art of Writing is sensational, and a must for writers of any genre.
Thanks for this, James. It's a great reminder for writers at any stage of their career. And your fun Starbucks spin made the post all the more enjoyable.
~Jenn!
Thanks so much, James. What I loved about this post is finding the connection to the thoughts of those who came before. I wrote six full length novels before it dawned on me that I needed to stop and take stock. It's the most wonderful job I've ever loved. On those days I wonder what the heck I'm doing one quote keeps me working it: Don't whine about the changes in the industry or the difficulty of finding the time. Just put butt in chair and write. That was a paraphrase from Nora Roberts at a Keynote address three years ago in Nashville. Butt in chair says it all 🙂
Wow, what a group of inspiring companions to sit and sip coffee with! Great idea for a blog post too!
Wonderful and inspiring post. WITS hits it out of the park again!
As a former actress rejection was as common as breakfast cereal, and to be honest, it nearly broke me. I lamented on paper in long, funny letters to my sister. When I left NYC and became a journalist, it was the most freeing experience of my life. At last, my art wasn't being shown the door -- the relief was immeasurable. And then I gave up my newspaper job to live with the man of my dreams. Artistic heartbreak all over again when I found that the news industry had nearly dried up. So, I decided to try my hand at fiction -- but not literary fiction -- fiction that editors wanted to buy. A few years later, here I am, having sold two novels while keeping the ticker intact. You're right, Mr. Bell, Mr. Conrad and Mr. Dubus, we shouldn't give up, ever, but it helps to be practical about it.
as one just passing the ten year mark, i totally agree. no quitting allowed now.
I love the Conrad quote. Persistent and stubborn ... yup, I've got those.
Whenever I read an author who's so good that I think I might as well give up, I try to get a copy of one of the author's first publications. Reading it generally reminds me that writing is a learning process. Of course, there are exceptions, but not many.
I've printed my favorite quotes on parchment paper & pasted them on the walls of my office. No matter where I turn, I have something to read that inspires me in that moment. 🙂
I love a good quote. I've added these to my Great Quotes file, so thank you. My 7-year-old son asked me the other day, "What is it you most enjoy to do?" I said, "Writing", so I'm with George Bernau. My son, however, thought that was the funniest thing he'd ever heard!
A fabulous and inspiring post! I loved these quotes and the wisdom they bring. I enjoyed the wit and candour of the author too. My best read all day!
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