You do it a day at a time. You just put your rejection slips in a shoebox and tell yourself one day you're going to autograph them and sell them at auction. James Lee Burke More Quotes by James Lee Burke More Quotes From James Lee Burke You have two choices in life. You either die or do something with your time. You're going to be doing something - why not write? James Lee Burke choices writing two ..why is it that in problematic situations almost everyone resorts to axioms and societal remedies that in actuality almost nobody believes in?...ask yourself, have you ever known anyone whose marriage was saved by a marriage counselor, whose drinking was cured by a psychiatrist, whose son was kept out of reform school by a social worker? James Lee Burke drinking believe school To misuse one's talent, to be cavalier about it, to set it aside because of fear or sloth is unpardonable. James Lee Burke misuse talent sloth Using a first-person narrator is simply a matter of hearing the voice inside yourself. James Lee Burke narrators voice matter The only thing an artist has to remember is to never lose faith in his vision. James Lee Burke vision artist remember Today, there are more opportunities for writers in terms of access to larger success, but it's more difficult to publish a literary novel in the lower ranges. In other words, you almost have to hit a home run. You can hit a triple, maybe, but nobody's interested in a single. James Lee Burke home writing running writing is like being in love. You never get better at it or learn more about it. The day you think you do is the day you lose it. Robert Frost called his work a lover's quarrel with the world. It's ongoing. It has neither a beginning nor an end. You don't have to worry about learning things. The fire of one's art burns all the impurities from the vessel that contains it. James Lee Burke love-you writing art Age is a clever thief. It takes a little from you each day, so you're not aware of your loss until it'd irreversible. James Lee Burke age clever loss Write for the love of your art. Someplace down the road, the money, the fame, they'll come, but by that time you won't be thinking in terms of money or fame. James Lee Burke writing art thinking The story of Ulysses and Agamemnon and Menelaus, of Jesus, of the Good Knight of Chaucer, lives in every one of us. James Lee Burke agamemnon knights jesus
