10 Quotes to Inspire You to Keep Writing

This one is from my youngest.
Keep Being Awesome.

AS YOU WISH: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Joe Cary Elwes and Joe Layden

From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with never-before-told stories, exclusive photographs, and interviews with costars Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, and Mandy Patinkin, as well as author and screenwriter William Goldman, producer Norman Lear, and director Rob Reiner.

The Princess Bride has been a family favorite for close to three decades. Ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 Greatest Love Stories and by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays of all time, The Princess Bride will continue to resonate with audiences for years to come.

Cary Elwes was inspired to share his memories and give fans an unprecedented look into the creation of the film while participating in the twenty-fifth anniversary cast reunion. In As You Wish he has created an enchanting experience; in addition to never-before seen photos and interviews with his fellow cast mates, there are plenty of set secrets, backstage stories, and answers to lingering questions about off-screen romances that have plagued fans for years!

With a foreword by Rob Reiner and a limited edition original poster by acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey, As You Wish is a must-have for all fans of this beloved film.

Intriguing look into the making of The Princess Bride from inception to finish told by Cary Elwes, or Wesley, with memories from the actors sprinkled throughout the book as well as the director and author. I was fascinated with the stories and had a hard time putting the book down, though at times I rolled my eyes at the overly sweetness and goodness of Elwes view of each actor. But I understand that this was a big part of Elwes life, a jumping off point for his career and it will always have a special place in his heart. And really, the movie has a special place in many, many hearts. While reading this book, I wanted to watch the movie but I found I didn't own a copy! I aim to fix this oversight immediately!

Fans of The Princess Bride will enjoy the behind-the-scenes stories from the making of the iconic movie.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read it!

4 1/2 STARS

Good Monday Morning

I'm not sure why, but this advice hit home today.

Hilary Mantel, winner in 2012 for Bring Up the Bodies and in 2009 for Wolf Hall.











“Concentrate your narrative energy on the point of change. This is especially important for historical fiction. When your character is new to a place, or things alter around them, that’s the point to step back and fill in the details of their world. People don’t notice their everyday surroundings and daily routine, so when writers describe them it can sound as if they’re trying too hard to instruct the reader.”

Good Monday morning!

Ah! Monday. When the week starts out fresh, you're not behind on your to-do list yet and pumpkin spice bagels are in the stores. :)  Hopefully, you find yourself writing today!

Today I present 10 rules on writing from Teju Cole. Follow the link for more!

1. There are few things more resistant to tutoring than the creative arts. All artists are after that thing that resists expression.
2. Keep it simple. There are many who use big words to mask the poverty of their ideas. A straightforward vocabulary, using mostly ordinary words, spiced every now and again with an unusual one, persuades the reader that you’re in control of your language.
3. Remove all clichés from your writing. Spare not a single one. The cliché is an element of herd thinking, and writers should be solitary animals. We do our work always in the shadow of herd thinking. Be expansive in your descriptions. Dare to bore.
4. Avoid adverbs. Let the nouns, adjectives and verbs carry the action of the story.
5. When reporting speech, it is enough to say “she said” or “he said.” You must leave “he chortled,” “she muttered,” “I shouted,” and other such phrases to writers of genre fiction.
6. Aim for a transparent style so that the story you’re telling is that much more forceful.
7. Read more than you write. In expressing the ambition to be a writer, you are committing yourself to the community of other writers.
8. Your originality will mean nothing unless you can understand the originality of others. What we call originality is little more than the fine blending of influences.
9. Be ruthless in your use of what you’ve seen and what you’ve experienced. Add your imagination, so that where invention ends and reality begins is undetectable.
10. Be courageous. Nothing human should be far from you.

Good Monday morning!

Ah! Monday. Where the week starts out fresh, you're not behind on your to-do list yet and pumpkin spice bagels are in the stores. :)  Hopefully, you find yourself writing today!


Today, I present 8 Tips on how to write a great story from Kurt Vonnegut.

“Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.”

1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
4. Every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action.
5. Start as close to the end as possible.
6. Be a Sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them-in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To hell with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.