Because We All Come Close

So, I would like to reword this a little bit because I'm just neurotic like this so I really want this to say: Many of life's failures happen because people did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

(No offense, Thomas Edison. I just don't think failures in life = failures as people, and I'm pretty sure that's not what you meant either.)

I believe this happens all the time. People give up, or almost give up, right before they're about to succeed. But I also believe that there are people who refuse to quit, and who make it through that last stretch and cross over the bar. Now I have a question. Who do you know that kept at something, regardless of how many times they fell or how hard they fell, and eventually succeeded?

Snippets of Wisdom, part 2

In case you missed Wednesday’s post, this week I’m sharing quotes from writers whom I have decided are infinitely wise in our open-mindedness.

I’m going to focus today on sharing quotes about life, in hopes that something here reaches out and touches one or two of my readers. Okay? Okay.

“The journey of 1000 miles starts with one step.” ~Jess Smart Smiley author of Upside Down, A Vampire Tale

“Being a grown up is not a prize you win. It’s something you reach out and take for yourself.” ~Sandra Tayler

“When you know you don’t know it all, you’re willing to learn.” ~Stacey Whitman, Senior Editor, TU books.

“Everyone is making it up as they go.” ~Tracey Hickman

“Very few times in our lives do we have a choice that will change our entire future.” ~James A. Owen, author of Drawing out the Dragon

“We have to get over the fear of making mistakes, even when we make them.” ~Stacey Whitman

“Be willing to forget what you know and just be who you are.” Jennifer Nelson

Okay, now it’s your turn. At some point in your life, you’ve heard a quote (don’t deny it, I know you have!) that changed you. Or at least made you really think. What was that quote and who said it?

Snippets of Writerly Wisdom (part 1) Snippets of Writerly Wisdom (part 1) Snippets of Writerly Wisdom, Part 1

I’ve decided that writers and artists are possibly the smartest people on the planet. We may not actually be building rockets and flying through space, or curing cancer, or even the flu, but we are open to any and all possibilities—even when the odds are stacked against us. (And dudes, we totally WRITE about all those things.)

I have heard some of life’s best wisdom from the mouths of authors/artists who are talking off the cuff. Panels, as you will often find at symposiums and conferences where writerly-types gather, are a great place to find valuable little snippets that make you think.

This week, I thought I’d share some of the snippets I picked up at my most recent symposium foray. Today is writing Wednesday, therefore, the following quotes will pertain mostly to writing. (And on Friday, I’ll share some that apply to life for everyone, not just artists, yeah? Okay.)

“You can’t create a villain just to fight the hero. The villain should never be evil just because your hero is good.” ~ (Sorry, I don’t know the name of the person who said this, but I thought it was good.)

“A good place to start is to decide to finish. “ ~Jess Smart Smiley, author of Upside Down, a Vampire Tale

“Art is making lines on paper and choosing where they go.” ~James A. Owen.

“Suspense and tension are not the same thing. Every book doesn’t need suspense, but they all need tension.” ~James Dashner, author of The Mazerunner series.

“Any time your character faces a choice between two goods or two bads, they are choosing who they’re going to be.” ~Clint Johnson

“Your goal is not to create reality, but the illusion of reality.” ~J. Scott Savage author of Farworld

“Creativity is about what is calling to you, what you think about a lot, what you want to talk about a lot.” ~Sandra Tayler

“Get into a rhythm where you finish one book, then set it aside for a bit and work on something else. It’s how you grow. “ ~Brodi Ashton author of Everneath

Lots of good stuff, right? I’m sure I’ll be blogging more about some of it in weeks to come. But for now, I hope you saw one thing that reached out and grabbed you.

Just One Line

I must be on a movie kick or something. Have you ever noticed that certain lines from popular or hit movies are the lines that would sound stupid or make very little sense except for the brilliance of the delivery?

I’m thinking It’s all in the execution. Has to do with the character, the vocal tone, accents, and most importantly, the ability of the actor saying the line. Do you agree?

We already discussed, “Never say die.” So how about some other great lines from movies. Consider the following:

“Failure is not an option.” And “Houston, we have a problem.” ~Apollo 13

“You had me at hello.” ~Jerry McGuire

“I see dead people.” ~The Sixth Sense

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. I sense much fear in you." ~Star Wars, The Phantom Menace

“Luke, I am your father.” ~Empire Strikes Back

"My Mama always said, 'Life was like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get.'"
“Mama says, ‘Stupid is as stupid does.’” And “Run, Forrest, Run!” ~Forrest Gump

"Are you crying? There's no crying! There's no crying in baseball!" ~A League of Their Own

"I want the fairy tale." ~Pretty Woman

“That’ll do, pig, that’ll do.” ~Babe

All memorable quotes, right? But while most of us can probably imagine the exact scene from which each quote was spoken, none of the lines has anything else in common with the others. So what makes them so memorable?

Character, scene, situation, and story combined with timing. These same techniques can also combine to create quoteable lines in books.

What are some of your favorite memorable lines? And how can we write lines like this into our books?

Okay, I can’t resist. Who knows what movie this is from: “Hey, there are skittles in there!”

Strength and its Measures: Quote #4

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."

~Lao Tzu

From the mouth of my nine-year-old this afternoon: "Mom, you should send us to Hawaii for school. Then you and dad could move there too, and we could skip school and live in a happy house." ~McKay My response: Oh boy, I couldn't agree more! Let's all skip school and move to Hawaii!

Don't forget to enter to win a signed copy of The A-MAZE-ing Book of Mormon by Arie Van De Graaff. If you don't remember the details, click here or scroll down to the post below this one. The contest is open until Midnight Wednesday night (or Thursday morning, technically.) Good luck!

Random Measures of Strength, Quote #1

“Some people think it's holding on that makes one strong--sometimes, it's letting go."

~ Unknown

Thursday Thoughts

By Nichole Giles

I do believe in fairys. I do, I do, I do, I do!

"Come faeries, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame." ~William Butler Yeats

Poem for a Lucky Day

Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter

Lullabies, dreams, and love ever after.

Poems and songs with pipes and drums

A thousand welcomes when anyone comes.

~Author Unknown

February Love Challenge, Post One

Inspirational quote and picture for the day, February first:

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude. ~Denis Waitley

Something I love today: Sunshine