“I really think that if there’s any one enemy to human creativity, especially creative writing, its self-consciousness. And if you have one eye on the mirror to see how you’re doing, you’re not doing it as well as you can. Don’t think about publishing, don’t think about editors, don’t think about marketplace.” — Andre Dubus III
Just Write!
“Life is sometimes a maze, sometimes a jigsaw puzzle. While writing you can explore paths to navigate the maze and find the pieces that fit together to form a balanced whole.” — Marlene Cullen
“When I speak of writing, the image that comes first to my mind is not a novel, a poem, or a literary tradition; it is the person who shuts himself up in a room, sits down at a table, and alone, turns inward. Amid his shadows, he builds a new world with words.” — Orhan Pamuk
“You are both the narrator—the storyteller—and a character in the story. You get to curate your voice and experience as you wish.
Though memoirs and essays are constructed from true experience, the writer still has a significant amount of leeway in how they tell their story.
Memoir and essay writers are often relieved to learn that developing a curated persona—a crafted version of you on the page—puts control back in your hands. It allow you to choose the manner and degree of truth you wish to tell.”
Excerpted from “Curating a Persona in Memoir to Control Your Narrative,” by Jordan Rosenfeld, Sept/Oct 2026 Writer’s Digest
“Dare to be idle,” wrote Brenda Ueland in her classic writing manual If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit.
Her advice offers respite from information overload, lists of things to do, overbooked schedules and looming deadlines. Relaxing, said Ueland, is good for your soul and your writing. The imagination needs moodling—long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling, and puttering.
Moodling is just being, letting your mind drift, as you lounge on the patio, take a walk, stare at the moon or sit at your desk. It’s in this state of dreamy idleness that the imagination kicks in.
Excerpt from “Ode to moodling,” by Elfrieda M. Abbe, The Writer magazine, August 2002
Note from Marlene: Brenda Ueland’s book If You Want To Write, is one of my favorite writing books.
“You have a unique creative voice and what you share is special. Keep using your voice, sharing what you create.” — Dan Blank, The Creative Shift, Aug. 11 Substack, “Embracing Your Creativity in the age of AI.”
“The bright side of working on a second draft is that it gives you the opportunity to play with words. Words are the writer’s pigment. We mix, we measure; we try this combination or that.
Original ideas and thoughts are the single most important element in the creative process. It is up to us, as writers, to give them form and voice and let them soar. While you’re writing and rewriting, remember the importance of the process rather than the end product. When you only focus on making your book marketable, it dampens your enthusiasm and blurs your vision.” — “A Writer’s Journey,” by Maureen Crane Wartski, The Writer, December 2000
“Elizabeth Berg starts out with a feeling in her head and nothing else. If you’re agonizing over how you might please a particular publisher, Berg has a basic message: Write to please an audience of only one —you.”
Excerpt from “Trusting Herself,” by Ronald Kovach, September 2002, The Writer Magazine
“What you create lives on. If you are a writer, your words live on. You have a unique creative voice, and writing and publishing is a powerful act.
You are forging powerful connections with other human beings that enhances their lives.
A co-creation happens when someone reads your work — half what you intended and half what the reader brings from their life experience and perspective — even when we are no longer present.” — Dan Blank, “Your Writing Lives On,” Nov. 28, 2025 Substack
These are Dan’s thoughts on three friends losing their fathers who were writers.
When Dan read what these friends shared about their fathers on social media, he was reminded of the importance of writing, sharing, and reading.
I agree: Your words matter. Just Write!
“No matter how many proofreaders one has, there can still be errors/typos. Reading for typos/errors is like a Sherlock Holmes mystery; looking for that stray character lurking in the shadows.” — Janet Pierce