♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦
Topic #60
Quote Post – Pull together multiple quotes from influential people (other writers, publishers, industry experts).
Welcome back to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop! If you’re new to the series, the authors included are grateful for your reads and appreciate, even more so, when you share our writings with your friends. If you’re new to the series, welcome aboard. The authors engage and impress weekly. Be prepared to become a regular reader.
There is much wisdom to be found in the assessments of others. Another person’s experience can save you miles worth of hard work. Conversely, the wrong advice can set you back even further. Although there is a wealth of information to be gleaned on the internet, not all of it is good or appropriate for every situation, or even worth reading at all. Furthermore, sticking with information that is only ever geared toward your specific business, helps you to miss out on information that could be vital, although it is coming from seemingly unrelated sources.
Where I have been most strengthened by wisdom is in the place I least expected to find it. For instance, I don’t look to publishing industry insiders for inspiration. Richard Branson is a great inspiration to me, but despite his owning a magazine, I don’t see him as a publisher. I see the entrepreneur. His insight into starting and growing your business, where he started from and where has gotten to, is of especial interest to me. Mr. Branson enjoys sharing how he’s built his business, and does so in terms that are easily understood.
The author Graham Greene, who I started reading in 2010 in relation to my second book, alleviated much of my anxiety in the following years as I began to study film. Greene was a popular novelist from the 1930s into the late 1960s. Thus, many of his books were turned into movies. The adaptations, however, were the responsibility of other artists. Greene wasn’t the least disturbed by this trade. When so many other authors were cursing the murder of their creations, Greene was glad to have the income to help support his family. As someone seeking to write for film, and probably see their books adapted, you can imagine that the changes that would take place might leave me seeking a drink or two. We all know how the film of a book usually turns out!
Recently, another author whom I have the pleasure of knowing quoted Márta Káryoli. Have you ever either been out and your eyes graze a poster, or your watching a pretty damn good movie and a character says something poignant and timely? Or a friend posts one of those inspirational memes, maybe quotes someone on Facebook, and it makes so much sense and applies so well to what you’re experiencing in the moment? That was this moment. I’ve been looking at my author business and trying to plan out the release of my new book. It’s all so frustrating. And, if you’re a writer, you’ll understand why. There is so much to plan, and building on past successes to rise up to the next level is crucial. So add stressful to that mix. Then, you find your temper quite short and everything starts bothering you. A vacation would be great, but who can afford that? I wish I could say I could. Regardless, this quote reminded me on where I needed to put my attention. Káryoli’s words were for one of her gymnasts, not an author. See how advice can come from the most seemingly unrelated corners?
Reading literature will strengthen your intellect and make you more empathetic, because it forces us to relate with made up persons who are communicated through symbols on a page, and it makes us think critically through theirs and our own eyes. It is not strange to find that something one of those made up persons has to say being meaningful to us at the appropriate time, or that a story lends insight into past as well as future situations. Reading history, listening to the stories of others, can also teach us and strengthen our intellect. Don’t seek affirmations, and don’t seek inside of one circle. Examine the things that challenge your certitude, and if your way stands firm against the challenge, you can be assured you’re in the right. If, however, it doesn’t stand so firm, you need to be strong enough to adapt.
Seemingly wise words quoted from seemingly wise people aren’t enough. We must still think critically. Branson, Greene, and Káryoli’s quotes aren’t going to be suitable for every reader who comes across them. Go and find the words that make the most sense and inspire you.
Let’s hop on over to see who the other authors have quoted.
