Writing Challenges Quotes

“Writing is a beast to tame, an energy to transform. Whip that toad into a prince and French kiss it to life. We start at the top but keep looking down, from macro to micro, from what could work to what does—but start with the dream. Nothing is real apart from the clouds, and all clouds pass with life in their wake—some rain thoughts.”
― Chila Woychik, On Being a Rat and Other Observations

“Let's try again. Start over. It is so difficult to tell a story, to begin with a beginning, to finish with a beginning, to not get bogged down in details, in minor incidents, to skim over the events, pointing to them rapidly like Nadar in his balloon looking down over the city, taking in everything, all at once, but from a distance...”
― Nathalie Léger, Exposition

“I’ve come to learn and understand from this experience that book writing is a dynamic process, fraught with its own challenges and rewards. Approaching it demands a degree of flow and ease, two qualities that I oftentimes don’t prioritize or respect.”
― Tieshka K Smith, Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival

“Unlike photography, writing has always been a ruthless and unrelenting teacher, a demanding lover, a sparring partner that leaves me bruised and scarred, but the satisfaction I’ve always gained from completing a writing project is unmatched. Not much else compares.”
― Tieshka K Smith, Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival