Recently, I participated in the #SassBossLinkUp (founded by Sapphira Martin) a panel about creative leaps and entrepreneurship, which inspired this post about 11 quotes for newbie writers (obvi).
All of my fellow panelists and the moderator are pretty badass—one of them, Briana Owens, has a gig in advertising but also owns Spiked Spin, a hip-hop cycling biz.
Another, Robin J., founded the TheTakeOvah.com to give musicians exposure without competing with the mainstream.
As the panel discussed who and what inspired us, Robin mentioned that she tatted a J. Cole lyric on her arm. I think it was her arm, I sipped a few cocktails before the panel, so that part is a bit hazy. Forgive me.
But!!! I love the “False Prophets” rapper, so if there was anybody’s lyrics worth getting permanent ink for, Cole is on my top 10 list.
Her tat is a line from “Autograph” and I knew immediately:
They say anything’s possible
You gotta dream like you never seen obstacles
That sums up how we have to think as creatives, entrepreneurs, writers, dreams and doers. There’s always going to be a gatekeeper, a closed door and someone too eager to reject our idea.
I don’t think we have to be fearless but we do have to be courageous and move past self-doubt—even when it’s screaming that we shouldn’t write that story because:
[FILL IN ANY EXCUSE THAT WILL HOLD YOU BACK HERE].
In honor of inspiration and dope lyrics that not only keep us motivated but keep us moving forward (shout out to Cole), here are 11 quotes for newbie writers by writers (who’ve make creative leaps just like you) about writing and why we make it do what it do.
- “I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that I can later build sandcastles.” —Shannon Hale
- “A woman who writes has power and a woman with power is feared.”
—Gloria E. Anzaldúa -
“To survive you must tell stories.” —Umberto Eco
- “Writing is really a way of thinking—not just feeling, but thinking about things that are disparate, unresolved, mysterious, problematic or just sweet.” —Toni Morrison
- “Easy reading is damn hard writing.” —Nathaniel Hawthorne
- “A word after a word after a word is power.” —Margaret Atwood
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“Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself.” —Truman Capote
- “I think writing really helps you heal yourself. I think if you write long enough, you will be a healthy person. That is, if you write what you need to write, as opposed to what will make money, or what will make fame.” —Alice Walke
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“The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” —Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi
- “I don’t believe in the phrase ‘aspiring writer.’ To me it’s just, you’re a writer.”—Shonda Rhimes
