Favourite Things About First Drafts:

One of the best writing advice I have gotten in all the months I have been writing is "if you can't go anywhere from a sentence, the problem isn't in you, it's in the last sentence." and I'm mad because it works so well and barely anyone talks about it. If you're stuck at a line, go back. Backspace those last two lines and write it from another angle or take it to some other route. You're stuck because you thought up to that exact sentence and nothing after that. Well, delete that sentence, make your brain think because the dead end is gone. It has worked wonders for me for so long it's unreal

what kills me is

she was correct that this is a TOTALLY BRILLIANT and APPROPRIATE basis for a children's book, and

I would say I want to know what higher plane her mind is in, except, well, dare I say

...I'd need the theoretical physics for that

...reread, anyone?

absolutely no one:

Madeline L’Engle, writing a wrinkle in time at some point in the early 1960s: what are kids into these days? comparative religious studies and theoretical physics, right? Yeah?

life's too short to write for an imaginary critic that you fear will hate what you wrote

It’s easy to forget JRR Tolkien was a fairly prolific academic translator with an interest in early medieval literature and philology. It’s so inspiring that he found time to write The Hobbit while fighting for his life over Beowulf.

been stewing on an analytical approach to fiction which I call "is this book afraid of me?" and in order to answer this question you determine how hard the book is trying to make sure you don't come after the writer on twitter

"Cheer up!" Said she.

"Alas, no cheer there either."

sir gawain would do numbers on tumblr

I'm just gonna keep this for someday...

this is so mean but sometimes i see published writing and suddenly no longer feel insecure about my own writing ability. like well okay that got published so im guessing i dont have much to worry about

make bad art or you will always feel bad about your art. Make bad art until you find joy in the crooked lines and the off colours. Make bad art because art is about expression and artwork is never ugly because it was made by someone who has lived a life no one else will ever live. Make bad art and find love through ugly. Make bad art so you make art at all. Make bad art.

how did women in 1817 read wentworth’s letter to anne and not immediately start running through the streets screaming

Just realized I’m driving home through part of Arizona that’s considered an unofficial dark sky reserve and decided to pull onto an off-road.

It’s no wonder our ancestors believed gods lived in the sky. There are so many stars I can’t find the constellations. I’m not used to seeing them like this. Saying it looks like diamonds is damning it with faint praise. I CAN SEE THE EDGE OF THE MILKY WAY.

It really does look like a bowl or a dome over the earth when you see it like this. The stars look closer. I think this is what “sublime” was actually coined to mean.

It’s probably a good thing I’m out here at a time of year it’s too cold to stay long. I’d be bent back over my hood staring straight up for way, WAY too long and then not get home until midnight, assuming I could get back into an upright position.

But oh! If you ever have a chance to see it…stop and do. Take a few minutes. You’ve never seen anything so lovely.