Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Thoughts’

Happy Father’s Day, fathers! And happy June Solstice, everyone!

The sun is at its northernmost position today, hovering over the Tropic of Cancer like a thrown ball at its apex. It’s the longest day of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere and is commonly treated as the first day of summer. As a child, my father painstakingly laid out the night sky with glow-in-the-dark stars on his bedroom ceiling. He passed that curiosity and joy in the world’s magic on to us.

Here’s to happy summer days and family.

* * *

Read Full Post »

It’s been storming here on and off, so Mr Man and I took advantage of a sunny break in the clouds to go for a walk in the neighborhood. The flowers are blooming, the bees are buzzing, and summer is just around the corner. It was a lovely stroll, made even nicer by a short encounter at the park. 

A man we didn’t know had a wheelbarrow and garden tools, and was trimming errant branches and vines by the walkway. We said hello (bonjour, actually) and he explained that he was a neighbor, just doing a bit of community service so that it would be easier for the city mowers to edge the pathways and open the way for the children who use the park.

How wonderful, I thought. How casually heroic.

“Heroism doesn’t always happen in a burst of glory. Sometimes small triumphs and large hearts change the course of history.” — Mary Roach

* * *

Read Full Post »

William Gibson riffs on writing and the future

So I would recommend that people read a lot, and as broadly as possible, and then I would suggest that people write a lot. You have to have written a very good deal in order to become really good at it. And if you do it often enough and pay sufficient attention, you’re much more likely to get somewhere than if you don’t.

* * *

Read Full Post »

A relative of Irish descent reminded me that today is Bloomsday, or a day to celebrate the life and work of James Joyce. 

What is Bloomsday? – Bloomsday Festival

Bloomsday celebrates Thursday, 16th June 1904 — the day immortalised in James Joyce’s novel Ulysses. The day is named after Leopold Bloom, one of the novel’s protagonists. The novel follows Bloom’s life and thoughts (as well as those of Stephen Dedalus and a host of other characters, real and fictional) from early in the morning to the twilight hours of the following day.

It may also be helpful for other writers to know that even Joyce worried about his work being forgotten.

No chance of that today!

* * *

Read Full Post »

No effort is wasted. — Wyna Liu

* * *

Read Full Post »

Some days the advice you need comes to you at just the right time, all unexpected.

Lorem Ipsum and Light Bulbs, Hank Green

You’ve probably heard the bowl story, or some version of it, but I’m going to tell it to you again. Some diabolical teacher split his ceramics students into two groups. One group was told to spend the entire semester making one perfect bowl. The other group was graded on sheer volume… just make as many bowls as you can, quality be damned.

At the end of the semester, the group that was told to just make a bunch of bowls made the better bowls.

This is a common idea in creative circles, but Hank’s version popped up in my inbox just when I needed to hear it. 

Maybe it will help you too?

* * *

Read Full Post »

It’s a classic question for writers: “Where do you get your ideas?” In my experience, they come from lots of sources, and certainly not the same places for everyone. Find what interests you and follow it. Think big, think small, think sideways.

And if you’re stuck or just looking for new inspiration, you could do worse than follow advice from one of the masters of the field.

“Make a list of ten things you hate and tear them down in a short story or poem. Make a list of ten things you love and celebrate them. When I wrote Fahrenheit 451 I hated book burners and I loved libraries. So there you are.” — Ray Bradbury

* * *

Read Full Post »

“If you don’t like how culture is going, that’s a huge opportunity, because culture is us. You can move the needle just by showing up to the places you like to be, posting and promoting the kind of stuff you’d like to see, ignoring the things you don’t like, and vacating the places you think are bad.” — Adam Mastroianni

* * *

Read Full Post »

A little Star Wars-based humor to get you through your day. Because:

“…my task is to try and make you smile despite the state of the world. I will not pretend the world doesn’t exist.” — Scott Lynch

“They Would Never Use the Death Star on Us”: Alderaan Residents Reflect on Their Support for the Empire as a Large Imperial Installation Enters the System

MODERATOR: In one or two words, finish this sentence: “I’m feeling ‘blank’ about the Empire these days, now that the galactic superweapon I willingly supported hovers overhead.”

* * *

Read Full Post »

At Heart

“Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness.” — Anne Frank

* * *

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »