Francesca

“Why else are first thoughts so energizing? Because they have to do with freshness and inspiration. Inspiration means “breathing in.” Breathing in God. You actually become larger than yourself, and first thoughts are present. They are not a cover-up of what is actually happening or being felt. The present is imbued with tremendous energy. It is what is.”
― Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

“A friend of mine says that the first draft is the down draft—you just get it down. The second draft is the up draft—you fix it up. You try to say what you have to say more accurately. And the third draft is the dental draft, where you check every tooth, to see if it’s loose or cramped or decayed, or even, God help us, healthy.”
― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

“Perfectionism is a mean, frozen form of idealism, while messes are the artist’s true friend.”
― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

“When I am out there, in time, I am inverted, changed into a desperate version of myself. I become a thief, a vagrant, an animal who runs and hides. I startle old women and amaze children. I am a trick, an illusion of the highest order, so incredible that I am actually true.”
― Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife