Category: Reflections

When I go to the library, I would find a book cover or title that I like, take it from the shelf, read a sentence or two in the first chapter, and if it really grabbed me, continue reading it. If it didn’t grab me, I would put it back, keep browsing, and then flip through another book that caught my attention. The process would repeat until I found something I’d be happy to check out.

It’s kind of finding a treasure chest that’s meant for you. I’m sure there are tons of books I’ve glanced at that didn’t interest me but would interest other people. But when you find a book that speaks to you, it’s like meeting a new friend. You’ve just got to search.

As an author, I really enjoy reading quotes and getting inspired by them. It gives me an insight into what motivates and inspires other people. It’s like a summary of what they believe, a summary of how they view life or how they view their process.

Sometimes, quotes can provoke us to mediate on what they mean. It’s a short blurb, a snapshot of an idea, and we have to understand it from the context of what they meant at the time it was said/written, or maybe we’re supposed to understand it according to our values. I like that they can be equivocal in this respect, because it gives us opportunity to evaluate our own thinking, our beliefs. It can embolden us to look at things differently.

The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.”

Terry Pratchett

You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”

Jodi Picoult