An Interruption

Inspired by my friend Deanna I thought I’d share the quotes on writing that speak to me . My favorite of all time is Burton Rascos’s:

“What no wife (partner) of a writer can ever understand is that a writer is working when he’s staring out of the window.”

She stood staring out of the kitchen window. A peeling paint-chip fell into the polished steel sink, but she didn’t notice. She was too busy climbing the apple blossom on Elm St and raging at the scene unfolding in the window across way. Should she scream at the adulterous rat or quietly take pictures… She reached into her backpack.

” The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes.” Agatha Christie.   The visual of Agatha standing at the sink washing pots and pans yet, organizing her latest murder mystery… Inspiring! I am of course talking about writing, not washing the dishes! Maybe I could hover around the sink and do just as well? 

And for sheer beauty:

“A perfectly healthy sentence, it is true, is extremely rare. For the most part we miss the hue and fragrance of the thought; as if we could be satisfied with the dews of the morning or evening without their colors, or the heavens without their azure.” Henry David Thoreau.   This Thoreau quote makes me feel all warm and tingley inside. It is beautiful beyond words. That is to say I can’t describe how lovely it makes me feel. I want to grab it all up and cuddle it close. Maybe some of his genius, by osmosis, will rub-off on me and make its way into my little gray cells?

And for fun:

“Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then for money.” William Faulkner.  I’m still doing it for love, but Y’all can go ahead and leave a few notes on the bedside table if you’ve had a good time.    :)

“I am a completely horizontal author. I can’t think unless I’m lying down, either in bed or stretched on a couch.” Truman Capote.  I feel your pain Truman!

For Educational purposes only: 

“Punctuation is the art of dividing a written composition into sentences, or parts of sentences, by points or stops, for the purpose of marking the different pauses which the sense, and an accurate pronunciation require.” Lindley Murray.   Huh?

“Manuscript: Something submitted in haste and returned at leisure.” Oliver Herford    We Scottish folk aye say, “Haste ye back!” Hmm, has wee Manny maybe taken them words tae heart?

“An unnecessary mark is worse than useless. It is an interruption.” George Summey.   !

And finally, the peas de resistance:

“I have performed the necessary butchery. Here is the bleeding corpse.” Henry James.   Couldn’t have said it better myself Henry! “Clean-up on aisle 4!”

 

You can find more famous quotes over there <—

http://faculty.jscc.edu/english-comp-1-writing-quotes.html

http://www.squidoo.com/favoritequotesonwriting

http://writersremorse.com/news/quotations-writers-writing