Discover new books on Goodreads
Meet your next favorite book
“There's always an assumption of selflessness in planting a tree. You're supposed to think, while digging the hole, how far into the future the tree will grow and what shallow, unconvincing weeds we humans are in comparison. Standing by the young sprout, you're supposed to wonder who will see this tree when it's full-grown, and you're bound in duty to consider the serenity of your own grave.”
― More Scenes from the Rural Life
― More Scenes from the Rural Life
“One purpose of writing—its central purpose—is to offer your testimony About the character of existence at this moment. It will be part of your job to say how things are, To attest to life as it is. This will feel strange at first. You’ll wonder whether you’re allowed to say things that sound Not merely observant but true, And not only true in carefully framed, limited circumstances, But true for all of us and, perhaps, for all time. Who asked you to say how things are? Where do you get the authority to do any of this? The answer is yours to find.”
― Several Short Sentences About Writing
― Several Short Sentences About Writing
“Volunteer sentences are the relics of your education And the desire to emulate the grown-up, workaday prose that surrounds you, Which is made overwhelmingly of sentences that are banal and structurally thoughtless. A volunteer sentence is almost always a perfunctory sentence. That can change. But only after years of questioning the shapes of sentences you read, And every sentence you write. Don’t let the word “years” alarm you. Think of it as months and months and months and months. You may think a volunteer sentence is an inspired one Simply because it volunteers. This is one reason to abandon the idea of inspiration. All the idea of inspiration will do Is stop you from revising a volunteer sentence. Only revision will tell you whether a sentence that offers itself is worth keeping.”
― Several Short Sentences About Writing
― Several Short Sentences About Writing
“We forget something fundamental as we read:
Every sentence could have been otherwise but isn't.
We can't see all the decisions that led to the final shape of the sentence.
But we can see the residue of those decisions.”
― Several Short Sentences About Writing
Every sentence could have been otherwise but isn't.
We can't see all the decisions that led to the final shape of the sentence.
But we can see the residue of those decisions.”
― Several Short Sentences About Writing
“Think of all the requirements writers imagine for themselves: A cabin in the woods A plain wooden table Absolute silence A favorite pen A favorite ink A favorite blank book A favorite typewriter A favorite laptop A favorite writing program A large advance A yellow pad A wastebasket A shotgun The early light of morning The moon at night A rainy afternoon A thunderstorm with high winds The first snow of winter A cup of coffee in just the right cup A beer A mug of green tea A bourbon Solitude Sooner or later the need for any one of these will prevent you from writing. Anything you think you need in order to write— Or be “inspired” to write or “get in the mood” to write— Becomes a prohibition when it’s lacking. Learn to write anywhere, at any time, in any conditions, With anything, starting from nowhere. All you really need is your head, the one indispensable”
― Several Short Sentences About Writing
― Several Short Sentences About Writing
ILLUMINATION Writers on Medium - Collaboration Group
— 74 members
— last activity Apr 12, 2025 05:07AM
The purpose of this group is to bring Medium writers who are published authors. We discuss about writing topics, prompts, and challenges. We share our ...more
Dew’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Dew’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
760 books
|
242 friends
96 books
|
204 friends
2,093 books
|
71 friends
692 books
|
7 friends
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Dew
Lists liked by Dew