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Thursday, February 3, 2011

On Love and the Love of Writing


In the cold days of February when you are craving warmth, what could be a better source of comfort than love? A touch, a caress that lets you know you are alive and matter. So let’s honor the quest for love this month.

As writers we must be crazy in love with the craft. How else would you describe someone who for years sends out manuscripts only to be constantly rejected? Talk about unrequited love? Writers live and breathe it. Could that be why so many famous literary figures have crashed and burned in their lives? Think of Poe and Fitzgerald. Writing can drive a person mad. Yet still we persist. We have an insatiable desire to put pen to paper – or these days fingers to keyboards. Some may even be writing by voice to computers.

In celebrating the love of writing, I am going to leave you with some quotes by writers who had their love returned and celebrated consistently in print. May your love of writing be celebrated as well!

Authors and lovers always suffer some infatuation, from which only absence can set them free. Samuel Johnson

When I am dead, I hope it may be said: His sins were scarlet, but his books were read. Hilaire Belloc

Life can't ever really defeat a writer who is in love with writing, for life itself is a writer's lover until death - fascinating, cruel, lavish, warm, cold, treacherous, and constant. Edna Ferber

It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous. Robert Benchley

True love is the only heart disease that is best left to "run on"--the only affection of the heart for which there is no help, and none desired. Mark Twain's Notebook

Now continue to read on about love throughout the month by clicking on to blog chain posted below!

14 comments:

  1. Great way to start the chain, Chris! It is so true - we have to be in love with writing if we're going to keep at it. Even if it does make us a bit crazy...

    If you want, you can snag the Blog Chain logo off one of our posts from January and insert it into your post. It's not mandatory, of course; just wanted to let you know it's available.

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  2. I love the Robert Benchley quote... if only I could do the 'famous' bit !

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  3. So that explains my craziness. Love the quotes and welcome to the blog chain!

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  4. Great Post. I love those quotes. Two of my favorite writing books are The Courage to Write and the Writer's Book of Hope. It's always reassuring to know others have traveled the same path...espcially when things aren't going so great.
    Peace and Blessings

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  5. Very clever! My fav is the Benchley quote. I guess we all must be just a bit crazy to do what we do ...

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  6. Thaks Chris.
    You've got us off to a great start by combining the themes of love and writing.

    You remind me of something George Lucas said in a documentary concerning the writing and creation of his Star Wars movies. He essentially said that a writing project is a bit like a marriage - you need to be in love with it and committed to it long term.

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  7. Great post, Chris!! I've always known I was a bit crazy! Lol! :) But as long as it keeps me going... :P

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  8. Great post, Chris! Love the quotes! Thanks!

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  9. I love Edna Ferber's quote--and wish for Benchley's. Good post!

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  10. A true love/hate relationship, eh? Great post!

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  11. ^_^ Couldn't have said it better myself. The quotes were an excellent touch. I did the same type of thing for my own post!

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