Quotes About Failing and Succeeding

I am on a lot of email lists. That can be good and that can be bad.
The bad part is your email box stays full.
The good news is you can receive a lot of useful or uplifting information coming to you every day.

I received an email from bookbaby.  They shared these three great quotes that really hit home:

"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed." — Theodore Roosevelt "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." — Henry Ford “Success is going from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

How many times have you received a rejection letter?
I can't remember the times I have received one in the mail. But, look at it this way, you are at least sending out manuscripts. You tried to get published. A lot of people write and write, but never submit.

When you get a rejection, pick up your spirits and send again. That next submission just might be the one that gets published.

And, don't lose your enthusiasm. If you love your story, keep improving it and keep sending it in. Give someone else a chance to fall in love with it, too.

Which one of the quotes do you like best?

Stay tuned.

My next post will be about my success story.

WORD FOR THE WEEK

BEGINNINGS:
The point in time or space at which something starts.

EXAMPLE:
Beginnings are hard, but finishing is harder.

QUOTE:
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

They say the beginning of a book has to hook the reader. It has to want them to keep reading.
I agree. If it takes too long for a book to grab my interest, I stop reading. Not always, but most of the time. What about you?

I just competed in a competition on Writing for Children and Teens blog about beginnings. You send in your first 125 words, then your next 250 words until you get the red light. I stepped up to the 5th round before I got eliminated.

I just finished reading a couple of books. Here are their beginnings:

What The Mood Said by Gayle Rosengren
Esther planted her feet on the curb. Her older sister Violet tugged at her arm and said, "Come on! We're going to be late for the matinee."
But Esther wouldn't budge - not until a streetcar had clattered past and the street was empty in both directions.
"Ma said to be extra careful today," she reminded Violet as she finally stepped off the curb and crossed the street. "She saw a ring around the moon last night. That means something bad is going to happen."

Ice Dogs by Terri Lynn Johnson
All eight of my dogs are stretched in front of me in pairs along the gangline. They claw the ground in frustration as the loudspeaker blares.
"Here's team number five. Our hometown girl, fourteen-year-old Victoria Secord!"
A male voice booms out my racing stats while my lead dog, Bean, whips his crooked rat tail. He tries to lunge forward, and then catches my eye and screams with a pitch that shoots up my spinal cord and electrifies my teeth.

Can you tell by their beginnings what the books are going to be about? Did their beginning draw you in and make you want to read more?

Some books go against the rules and are still popular. What are the rules?

The Blood Red Pencil blogged one time about The Top 25 Reasons Your Submissions are Rejected. Go here to see this post.

#9 states The opening contained the phrases, "My name is..." and/or "My age is..."

Of course, there are exceptions. One of my favorite books (Because of Winn-Dixie) starts this way: My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two tomatoes and I came back with a dog.

What are some of your favorite book beginnings? Does a book have to grab you in order to keep you reading?

I am sure this favorite spot of mine had a small beginning a long, long time ago. But look at it now! Our writing can do the same. From its beginning, our story can grow into something grand.

Just remember - you have to finish it.

Posted byJanet Smart on Creative Writing in the Blackberry Bush.




 

WORD FOR THE WEEK

I am a day late with my post. But that is only because I have been -

BUSY:

Having a great deal to do.

EXAMPLE:

I was too busy to notice it was past time to post on my blog.

QUOTE:

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. Henry David Thoreau

I do not have a regular paying job - a job outside the home - so a lot of people may think of me as not being busy.

Since being married, I have been a mother and wife.  None of these are paying jobs, but they sure kept me busy and still do.
I used to craft and sew. I never received much payment for this, but it sure kept me busy.
Now I write. I have never received much payment for this, but it sure keeps me busy.

Writers are always busy writing, editing and submitting. Then we start the process all over again.
We are busy as a bee. But that is an overused cliche, so I should change it to say - Busy as a writer with a deadline!

Maybe if I keep too busy to look for it, like Henry David Thoreau said, success will come when I least expect it.

Success is not always measured by the amount of money you make.  Success is also measured by the amount of happiness in your life. At least I think so.

My quote is: Stay busy, be happy with what you do, and success will come when you least expect it.

 

Stay busy and you won't notice the time fly by.

What have you been busy doing lately?

Posted byJanet Smart  on Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch.

WORD FOR THE WEEK

STAMP:

A small adhesive piece of paper stuck to something to show that an amount of money has been paid, in particular a postage stamp

EXAMPLE:

I need some stamps to mail in my submission.

QUOTE:

"Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there." Josh Billings (American Humorist)


As writers, we need stamps. We need stamps to mail in our submissions. A few days ago I stopped at the post office to buy a book of stamps. I asked if there were any commemorative stamps I could buy. They are usually prettier to the eye than the regular books of stamps. 

This is what I came out of our post office with: A book of Harry Potter stamps.

I have a problem. I don't want to use these stamps. 

I solved my problem by buying another (regular) book of stamps. 

Have you seen these stamps? Would you, as a writer, be tempted not to use them?

PS: I used to collect stamps. They are a weakness of mine. 

Posted byJanet Smart on Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch.

WORD FOR THE WEEK

IMAGINATION: The ability to imagine things that are not real. The ability to think of new things. Something that only exists or happens in your mind.

EXAMPLE: Use your imagination and let your writing soar to places it has never been before.

QUOTE: Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try. Dr. Seuss

Imagination is something a writer uses daily, even in writing non-fiction.
Readers also use their imagination.

The writer creates characters, settings and new worlds when they write their manuscripts. The readers then get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Your writing takes them into another time and world. They get to visit other places, magical or real, without ever leaving their home.

Writing is a labor. It takes hard work, along with our imagination. But, I consider writing a labor of love!

I use my imagination and stories about my ancestors 

to create works of fiction - and non-fiction.

How do you use your imagination?

Posted by Janet Smart  on Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch.

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!

Dr. Seuss

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_imagination.html#RuWVqmPhHluu6WKX.99

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!

Dr. Seuss

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_imagination.html#RuWVqmPhHluu6WKX.99

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!

Dr. Seuss

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_imagination.html#RuWVqmPhHluu6WKX.99

WORD FOR THE WEEK

SPECIFIC: Clearly defined or identified

EXAMPLE: In order to be specific you need to come to the point, go into detail, put a finger on, pin down and be precise.  :o)

QUOTE:

I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific. Lily Tomlin

To make your writing shine, use specific words when you write.

Did she walk or did she tiptoe, prod or prance?
Were her eyes just blue or were they sapphire or steel gray?
Did he drive a vehicle or a Ford F-150 or a scarlet mustang?

Use specific color, shape, taste, smell, touch, walk, etc. words in your writing.

They say we should write using all of our senses, but writers often don't use taste and smell words enough in their writing.

Here are a few taste and smell words for you to consider:

alkaline, bland, crisp, dank, earthy, fresh, gaseous, hot, musty, overripe, piney, raw, sour, stinky, tempting, vinegary

Can you add more to the list?

Mama Bird told Papa Bird to build her a nest in a hidden area. 

She should have been more specific!

Posted by Janet Smart  on Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch.

WORD FOR THE WEEK

WORD: (n) a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing, used with others (or alone) to form a sentence and typically shown with a space on either side when written or printed

QUOTES:

Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools. Napoleon Bonaparte

Suit the action to the word, the word to the action. William Shakespeare 


What is a writer without words? Stitch together wonderful words and you create a story.

I just found a really neat site that I am going to bookmark and I am sure I will go back to often: Thesaurus.com. 

I looked up my name (Smart) on the site.  Wow! I never knew that humble little word could be used in so many ways. Go over and put a word in the search window at the top of the page and see what comes up. It can be a little overwhelming and very helpful.

Do you know what the 100 most used words are? Click here to find out.

Have you ever heard of six-word stories? There is actually a site for them. Find it here. Go check out the ones submitted and get inspired. Your six-word story can be a prompt that leads to writing an entire novel.

Here are a a couple of my bad six-word stories:

Bird drops seed. A tree grows.
A tree falls, creating housing crisis.

Do you have a six-word story you would like to add?

INSPIRATION:

 

let your words soar like a seed in the wind and see what develops 

Posted by Janet Smart  on Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch.

ible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/word.html#Ped8UJ0DW9MxUzV6.99

Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/word.html#Ped8UJ0DW9MxUzV6.99

Treasure in Books

I like quotes!

This is a good one!

There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates loot on Treasure Island....Walt Disney

What book are you currently reading . . . or writing?

I just finished Shades of Truth, a MG by Naomi Kinsman.

Now, I have until Wednesday to finish my column for Two-Lane Livin'.

I have titled it, Celebrate an Old-Fashioned Christmas.

Posted by Janet F. Smart on Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch.

Author's Quotes and Edits

I found a couple of quotes I wanted to share with you.

"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass." Anton Chekhov

When you are describing
A shape, or sound, or tint;
Don't state the matter plainly
But put it in a hint,
And learn to look at all things
With a sort of mental squint.

Lewis Carroll


"I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter." James Michener


With these quotes in mind, I went to my computer and pulled up my first middle grade manuscript I had written. I was so excited when I finished this story, I couldn't believe that I had put so many words to paper (even though, I believe it was a mere 9000 words).

That story has since been re-written a couple of times. The first time, I added more detail to up the word count. And more recently, after reading everywhere that some editors don't read past the first page before putting your manuscript into the slush pile, I went straight to the exciting part, and now the beginning of my story is what used to be the beginning of chapter three.

With Chekhov's quote in mind, I scanned my manuscript, looking for telling.

Here are some examples I found.

The air was hot, and perspiration dripped from Jan's long black hair. She reached in her pocket for a rubber band and gathered her damp hair into a ponytail.

OK, The air was hot has got to go.

Any suggestions? How about - The hot stagnant air in the attic caused perspiration to drip from Jan's long black hair.


The night air was stuffy and lightning flashed in the distant sky.

The night air was stuffy has got to go.

Any suggestions? How about - Crickets chirped in the motionless air and lightning flashed in the distant sky.


The sound of the rain was deafening as it hit the old tin roof, which was inches above their heads.

How about changing it to something as simple as - The pounding rain bombarded the old tin roof, which was inches above their heads.

I've bared my soul and my writing. Feel free to offer your professional (or amateur) suggestions to an aspiring author who is eager to learn and grow.

We all need to be good re-writers. Sometimes we can see the err in other people's writing more than we can see it in our own.