Melissa Marr

Literary Birthday – 25 July – Melissa Marr

Happy Birthday, Melissa Marr, born 25 July 1972.

10 Quotes

  1. I eventually realised that good things wouldn’t happen to me if I didn’t make the right choices.
  2. I write at night. Generally that involves headphones and loud music and caffeine and darkness. During the day it’s either family time or sleep time.
  3. Writing is the fine art of vacillating between crippling insecurity and moments of mad self-confidence… I like the fear. I like proving TO MYSELF that I don’t give up. If you want a bit of advice, that’s the best I have: it’s about proving it to yourself, but know that you will still feel terror and self-doubt every single time. My personal belief is that if it stops being scary, if it stops seeming like I can’t do it, it’s time to stop.
  4. The world is too fascinating to limit yourself to one path or one sort of people.
  5. I don’t consider writing to be limited to the physical act of fingers on keys, so to some degree I think I’m always writing. Stories simmer in our minds for months or years before they are ready to be served up on to the page.
  6. To this day I never go anywhere without my camera, my pen, and music. Those are my devices that I have to have at all times.
  7. I read a lot of folklore and history, and I think that’s the biggest source [of ideas] for me. Then I ask, ‘What if?‘ Sometimes, though, a painting or a song might start me on a story.  A dream could (and has) been the start of a story, too.
  8. When you are WRITING, it’s time to let your passion and creativity flow. When the book is done, you need to switch to business mode.
  9. Letters to agents or editors should read like professional business letters. Don’t let your creative self get in the way of professional interactions. Sometimes that means writing replies but SAVING them as drafts for 48 hours so your mood can level. Being a professional writer (or pro artist, singer, etc.) involves switching modes between creative and practical.
  10. He was an answer to a question she’d forgotten to ask.

Melissa Marr is an American author of young-adult/urban fantasy novels. She is the author of the Wicked Lovely novels.

Source for image: author’s website

Amanda Patterson by Amanda Patterson

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Posted on: 25th July 2015
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