Archive for August 2024

“Write what makes you angry.”
—Po Bronson

Anger can be powerful. It can motivate us to be our best or worst selves.
Put yourself in the shoes of a six-year-old responding to an adult’s anger.

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“It is foolish to think that you have to read all the books you buy, as it is foolish to criticize those who buy more books than they will ever be able to read. It would be like saying that you should use all the cutlery or glasses or screwdrivers or drill bits you bought before buying new ones. There are things in life that we need to always have plenty of supplies, even if we will only use a small portion.”

–Umberto Eco (who apparently owned 50,000 books)

Buy that picture book you’ve been wanting for a while. If you really feel the need to justify the purchase, copy out the text by hand and call it research!

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“There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.”
―Mark Twain

Choose your own pieces of “colored glass” ―ideas that have appeal—and turn the kaleidoscope. How can you turn them to yield new combinations and patterns? Make absurd combinations and play with them.

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“When I’m looking for an idea, I’ll do anything—clean the closet, mow the lawn, work in the garden.”
―Kevin Henkes

Go clean your closet, or work in the garden, or bake a cake. Let your mind wander as you’re doing it.

Write down any ideas, story sparks, or observations that occur to you. Then, write more about them.

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