“There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside the dullest exterior, there is a drama, a comedy, and a tragedy.” –Mark Twain Tell me about a great dramatic moment in your life. A comedy. A tragedy.
“Too many people, too many demands, too much to do; competent, busy, hurrying people—it just isn’t living at all.” –Anne Morrow Lindberg What becomes available to me when I rest? Begin with the words, “When I rest . . .”.
“There’s one thing your writing must have to be any good at all. It must have you. Your soul, your self, your heart, your guts, your voice — you must be on that page. In the end, you can’t make the magic happen for your reader. You can only allow the miracle of ‘being one …
“When you use the word should, you are arguing with reality.” –Tara Brach Tell me about a time you fought against reality…or a time you accepted it.
Lies I’d Like to Tell About Myself It’s like the dedications in all those books: to my mother who was the nurturing, supportive inspiration behind it all. That was my mom: soft-spoken and loving to the end. She encouraged me early on in my musical talent; she knew I adored the piano and saw to …
“Words are more powerful than perhaps anyone suspects, and once deeply engraved in a child’s mind, they are not easily eradicated.” –May Sarton Tell me about something that was said to you as a child that you will never forget.
“There is no freedom like seeing myself as I am and not losing heart.” –Elizabeth J. Canham Tell me who you really are, today, just as you are. No holding back. Tell me everything you see. As you write, try to write with acceptance of who you are and what you see.
“You can either practice being right or practice being kind.” —Anne Lamott Tell me about a time you chose being right. Tell me about another time when you chose kindness.
“For me, language is a freedom. As soon as you have found the words with which to express something, you are no longer incoherent, you are no longer trapped by your own emotions, by your own experiences; you can describe them, you can tell them, you can bring them out of yourself and give them …
“What is the source of our first suffering? It lies in the fact that we hesitated to speak. It was born in the moment when we accumulated silent things within us.” –Gaston Bachelard Tell me about a time you learned to be silent.
