Why Bradbury

I've decided to try a different approach today.

Maybe the problem is that I don't really love anything. I don't get all hearts and flowers about life. I decided to go back to Bradbury for another dose of inspiration, just in another direction.



You may wonder why I choose Bradbury as an inspiration. To most people he was a crazy science fiction writer on the fringe. To active writers, however, he might be something more. He is for me. Bradbury was extremely prolific as a writer. He decided at the age of 12 that he would write 1000 words every day. And apparently he did so, every day, even though his motivation lagged sometimes. He wasn't published until his 20s. So for a decade he wrote 1000 words a day, 364,000 words a year without being published. In that time he wrote over 3 million words.



Volume is not the most impressive thing about Bradbury. Truly I read him and I trust his words because his books taught me 2 things when I was a young reader


1. It's OK to be a freak who likes to read


2. Narrators in stories don't have to tell you the truth - they can lie





These 2 revelations caused me to decide that I wanted to read and write for the rest of my life. I think I was about 11 when I reached this conclusion.





So in a round about way maybe I have realized something.





What I love is books.


As to the other approach I was planning for today - I'll get to it tomorrow.

Zen in the Art of Writing

I read a book this weekend that I will likely talk about for weeks to come. The amount of motivation and wisdom in this compact book of essays reached into my brain on several levels. Today I’m going to give you what may be the best quote – at the very least it’s the one that best applies to Turning 30.

“For the first thing a writer should be is – excited. He should be a thing of fevers and enthusiasms.” (p 4)

Writers are not the only ones in need of fevers and enthusiasms. All people, no matter what our occupations, can benefit from having something to be excited about.

I’m not saying that to be successful or fulfilled you should be excited to go to work everyday. What I’m suggesting is that there should be at least one thing – one thing in your life – that gets you excited and enthusiastic.

That one thing can be your kids, you job, your spouse, a hobby, your favorite pair of shoes. What it is doesn't matter – just that it is.

Take today to think about what matters to you. Take a single step in finding your own passion. Make a list if you have to. If the thing you love comes to mind in an instant, consider your self blessed. Then decide what the second thing you love is.