My dad taught me that to be a writer is a decision and a habit. It's not anything lofty, and it doesn't have that much to do with inspiration. You have to develop the habit of being a certain way with yourself. You do it at the debt of honor. Anne Lamott More Quotes by Anne Lamott More Quotes From Anne Lamott This is our goal as writers, I think; to help others have this sense of--please forgive me--wonder, of seeing things anew, things that can catch us off guard, that break in on our small, bordered worlds. Anne Lamott helping-others writing thinking Clutter and mess show us that life is being lived. Anne Lamott perfectionism clutter life-is Being a writer is part of a noble tradition, as is being a musician – the last egalitarian and open associations. No matter what happens in terms of fame and fortune, dedication to writing is a marching-step forward from where you were before, when you didn’t care about reaching out to the world, when you weren’t hoping to contribute, when you were just standing there doing some job into which you had fallen. Anne Lamott dedication writing jobs Don’t underestimate this gift of finding a place in the writing world: if you really work at describing creatively on paper the truth as you understand it, as you have experienced it, with the people or material who are in you, who are asking that you help them get written, you will come to a secret feeling of honor. Anne Lamott feelings writing people We all often feel like we are pulling teeth, even those writers whose prose ends up being the most natural and fluid. The right words and sentences just do not come pouring out like ticker tape most of the time. Anne Lamott pouring tape teeth All criticism hurts me. I'm so in the wrong business. Anne Lamott hurt-me criticism hurt The first draft is the child's draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later. Anne Lamott shapes knowing children Talking to the parents of older kids was helpful for me, since parents of kids the same age as yours won't admit how horrible their children are. Anne Lamott talking kids children I am skittish about relationships, as most of the marriages I've seen up close have been ruinous for one or both parties. Anne Lamott has-beens party I do know the sorrow of being ordinary, and that much of our life is spent doing the crazy mental arithmetic of how, at any given moment, we might improve, or at least disguise or present our defects and screw-ups in either more charming or more intimidating ways. Anne Lamott crazy sorrow ordinary My natural tendency is to complicate everything--and then to spray words and ideas onto everything afterwards. I've had to develop the habit of keeping things simple. Anne Lamott habit simple ideas A whole lot of us believers, of all different religions, are ready to turn back the tide of madness by walking together, in both the dark and the light - in other words, through life - registering voters as we go, and keeping the faith. Anne Lamott light dark together Grace arrived, like the big, loopy stitches with which a grandmotherly stranger might baste your hem temporarily. Anne Lamott stitches hem grace When you're conscious and writing from a place of insight and simplicity and real caring about the truth, you have the ability to throw the lights on for your reader. Anne Lamott caring real writing I know some very great writers, writers you love who write beautifully and have made a great deal of money, and not one of them sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Not one of them writes elegant first drafts. All right, one of them does, but we do not like her very much. We do not think that she has a rich inner life or that God likes her or can even stand her. (Although when I mentioned this to my priest friend Tom, he said that you can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.) Anne Lamott hate writing thinking Tidiness makes me think of held breath, of suspended animation. Anne Lamott animation breaths thinking Having a child as a single mother was a crucible - maybe this is true for all parents. I got rid of so much stuff that didn't really matter in the scheme of things-like throwing stuff out of an airplane that kept me flying too low. What was left was essential, i.e. not a lot of extraneous stuff that had kept me busy and people-pleasing. I just didn't have the luxury of wasting my life force on so much stupidity and distraction. That made me strong. Anne Lamott strong mother children That's about 90 percent of my theological life - radical self-care. Put your own oxygen mask on first. I watch the self-talk that goes through my mind, and if I am being critical with myself, I shake myself out of it. Anne Lamott oxygen self mind The stuff I write about is pretty universal, the things my closest friends and I talk about - our anxiety about being here on this scary planet, during these scary times, as vulnerable as kittens, having lost so many people I couldn't live without. Anne Lamott anxiety writing people Raising a child, whether or not it is yours, is like Nautilus of the heart and soul. Anne Lamott soul heart children
