The Nice Thing About Strangers
Creative Non-Fiction Short Stories. :) Travel, Oldsters, Love, and Compassion.
Sit. Create. Become.
Berlin.
Someone once asked Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. “I write only when inspiration strikes,” he replied. “Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.”… Maugham reckoned another, deeper truth: that by performing the mundane physical act of sitting down and starting to work, he set in motion a mysterious but infallible sequence of events that would produce inspiration, as surely as if the goddess had synchronized her watch with his.
–Steven Pressfield. The War of Art.
(A book I can highly, highly recommend for writers, artists, and everyone about to start budgeting, working out, or changing their life.)
Nice quote. I’ve never heard of the book but will have to check it out. I almost spit green tea on my monitor when I read the part about inspiration striking at nine o’clock sharp. It was unexpected and it made me laugh. Cheers.
Maugham never fails to delight me. Pressfield knocked my socks off. I hope you do hunt the book down. It’s definitely worth the time.
Oh, great. Another book I now feel compelled to add to my high and leaning To Be Read pile of books. 😉
The “9 o’clock sharp” line makes me think about an essay on writing called “The Talent of the Room.” It’s by Michael Ventura. You can find it here.
Profoundly challenging – how long can you remain alone in a room? Something to think about.
As always – a great post!!! Something to think about….
Need to check this book out. I’m the queen of writer’s block.
It’s been extremely helpful for me, and I regularly give it to my students and writer friends.
May the blocks fall away! 🙂
Paige