And I have this little litany of things they can do. And the first one, of course, is to write - every day, no excuses. It's so easy to make excuses. Even professional writers have days when they'd rather clean the toilet than do the writing.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of discipline and consistency in writing despite the temptation to procrastinate.
Octavia Butler illustrates the struggle that writers face with procrastination and the various distractions that can prevent productive work. By advocating for writing every day without excuses, she highlights the discipline needed to overcome these challenges and commit to the craft of writing. This approach of consistency can foster growth and creativity in any endeavor.
In practice
In a writing workshop, a facilitator might share this quote to encourage participants to prioritize their writing goals.
What I'm working on now - I'm back to fantasy, although considering that it's me, I'm turning it into a kind of science fantasy. It's a vampire story - but my vampires are biological vampires. They didn't become vampires because someone bit them; they were born that way.
Slavery was a long slow process of dulling.
Here I was into astronomy, and here into anthropology, and there I go into geology. It was much more fun to be able to research and write about whatever I wanted to.
There is no end To what a living world Will demand of you.
You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.
Better to stay alive," I said. "At least while there's a chance to get free." I thought of the sleeping pills in my bag and wondered just how great a hypocrite I was. It was so easy to advise other people to live with their pain.
Please go for your dreams. Whatever your ideals, you can become whatever you want to become.
I had to make my own living and my own opportunity. But I made it! Don't sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.
Every generation comes with a unique athlete, I don't think anybody wants to be the next Nadia; they want to be themselves.
If you don't like your situation in life, don't fret or worry--do something about it. Worry less, and act more.
I will try one hundred times to get up, and if I fail one hundred times. If I fail and I give up, will I ever get up? No! If I fail I’ll try again, and again and again. But I want to tell you it’s not the end.
Practice the 101 Percent Principle. Whenever possible, find the 1 percent you do agree on in a difficult situation, and give it 100 percent of your effort.
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