Inspiring Quotes for us Writers!

"Believe in yourself and in your own voice, because there will be
times in this business when you will be the only one who does. Take
heart from the knowledge that an author with a strong voice will
often have trouble at the start of his or her career because strong,
distinctive voices sometimes make editors nervous. But in the end,
only the strong survive."

- Jayne Ann Krentz

"I've got a folder full of rejection slips that I keep. Know why? Because those same editors are now calling my agent hoping I'll write a book or novella for them. Things change. A rejection slip today might mean a frantic call to your agent in six months."

- MaryJanice Davidson 

 "If you've FINISHED writing a novel you are amongst the elite!!! You ARE NOT A FAILURE IF YOU CANNOT LIVE OFF YOUR BOOKS. You only fail by NOT TRYING."

- Nadia Cornier

"This is for writers yet to be published who think the uphill climb will never end. Keep believing. This is also for published writers grown jaded by the process. Remember how lucky you are."

- Terry Brooks

"You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you're working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success - but only if you persist."

- Isaac Asimov

"Dig until you hit rock. Then take out that jackhammer and go a little deeper."

- Allison Brennan

"The heights by great men reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight. But they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night."

- Thomas S. Monson

"It's never too late to be what you might have been."

- George Eliot

“If you are hungry, you should eat. If there is a hunger
in your soul, you must dream.

- unknown

http://www.writeattitude.net/quotes.php

Now Onto The Next Step, by, S.M. Bjarnson

I wrote this article a little while ago for a friend blog. I thought it was time to reshape and revamp motivation for the year!

           There are many challenges in our lives that we can easily walk away from. Trials that phase us either the right or wrong way. There are plenty of times in a young artist's life when giving into the odds is easier than spiting them.

           Transforming from girl to woman, boy to man, is a course both chaotic and indirect. Nonetheless finding yourself in this oblivious world is a straight forward blur of uncertified facts mixed with a mirage of fictitious morals.

           Imagine yourself at the bottom platform of a cascading staircase. Your glance is met with all the necessary steps to acquire the high beacon.

           Your focus not declaring or assuming its presence. In life and in love, faith tells you, it exists. It speaks loudly in your ear persuading your greatest efforts of this wonderful idea of success. Eyes closed, deep breaths taken in. Picking up each foot to make the next sacrificing stride. This staircase leads you up a winding beautiful mountain. The scenery claiming no faults in any direction. Quiet peace surrounding your persona. Welcoming in this attitude of gratitude; you are calm and powerful. Hope lingers beside the knowledge of your daring being, ever so silently.

            As you make your way further up the curving pathway, not knowing what the next step may bring you; trust first, then believe. Without question or much hesitation you begin to hear a faint annoyance of a buzzing. Turning around, the landscape empty except of you. Ignoring the humming whispers, you decide to press on. Suddenly, the small buzz has turned into a crack in the stone, a trip in your step. Staggering your progress and casting your view down. Faces appear at your shins grasping at your weaknesses and applauding them in mockery. The doubts and fears you have start challenging you, whispering to you false information. They tell you there is no chance in paradise with you ever reaching the top of this hill. You're never going to accomplish the task ahead. The last ones always cutting the deepest; you are unworthy of being victorious. Draining the potential power left to win this race. They have made a personal commitment to bringing you to your knees in definite defeat.

            You stumble trying to keep balance. Scraping by another inch or so. You rise each foot again and again. Pledging your name to that trophy. The new found strength in your legs makes the effort easier. There's a break between the white clouds and your destination is in pleasant view.

            Throwing your hands up in the air. Hallelujah on your tongue. You have made the long journey. On top you are welcomed with applause and a celebration of your triumph.

    In closing a final tune to keep in mind:

        When you’re stuck in rut, and your story won't fly.

Think of the thoughts that make your heart jump and the setting catered your way.

What words would be said and words be exchanged, how confident are you with the world you have created?

Can you think up a rhyme or a time of age?

A character’s name or how it will end?

Just remember when you’re down on your pen and your ink has run dry, tomorrow has a better thought in mind for the end of your lines.

        

Best wishes, and whimsical hope!

S.M. Bjarnson

Inspire Yourself

Inspire yourself!

Was there ever a time in your life when you were more then down on your luck, crying to the figurative heavens questioning why, oh why???
Remember with all trials come resolutions, all heroes once nobodys. The cream of the crop is a tool only you have to harvest. The remarkable part of life us that you do fail, and continue to fail, not to mention you keep trying and going, but ultimately you seize to succeed. Why? You've given it your all time and time again. You go back you relearn, study longer, but the effort hasn't paid off. Is it fear that keeps holding you back? Is it the very notion that makes you realize, hey maybe I can do it. Do you wake up grudgingly cursing the morning for things it hasn't even brought you yet? You have to wake up to early for school; the sunrise is a miracle and beautiful in it's new day birth. Traffic is jammed and you're late to work; you have at some level found yourself a job you are skilled at, at least you have the opportunity to work. I'm so stressed school work is piling in by the truck load; education/knowledge is the greatest gift of all rewards.
The sun will always rise as it will always set. A book is a book the only difference is the words. You make the day count! You wake up with just a little bit more of gratitude, you'll be on your shining new way!

Many wishes! Best Thoughts!

Stay tuned, more to come!

S.M. Bjarnson