Friday, July 22, 2011

Quotes and Cookies: The small thing

We went [scratch, scratch] camping on a family reunion [scratch, scratch] last weekend, and lemme tell you, [scratch, scratch] this quote made me laugh loudly.

“If you think that something small cannot make a difference, try going to sleep with a mosquito in the room.”
~Anonymous
Of course there is so much more to the quote than the constant itch of bites that cover every single part of your legs.

The “small thing” the quote referred to can be the details in your story that make it feel like the world and the people actually exist.

It can refer to the small choices your characters make that propel them toward the main conflict.

It can refer to things like sentence structure and grammar that help draw people into your story.

It can refer to the small things you learn along the way that help you perfect your craft to the point that you are publishable or more widely read.

It can refer to the small amounts of time you come across that don’t seem like much, but over time can mean you finish that novel. You finish those revisions. You write that query. You finish researching agents.

It can refer to the things you tell yourself daily that convince you that you can do this. You can work hard, sacrifice, make time, constantly learn, make it work. You want this. You can fight for this.

You will fight for this.

Those small things, added together, mean that WE CAN DO THIS! So grab a cookie, and let’s get going!!

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mississippi-mud-cookies-10000001646479/
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10 comments:

Jessie Humphries said...

Can I have a diet coke with my cookie to get me going?

Ozzland said...

Another issue with thinking that something small cannot make a difference if the quote "you can't eat just one"

I mean have you ever had a bugle, they are classified as chips but when you grab one and 10 minutes latter you have finished off a 24 oz bag and had to drink 3 diet cokes because of the salt content that one little scrumptious bugle just gained you 10 lbs in 10 minutes.

Just try to keep in the back of your mind that it is really the small things that count the most!

No matter how good your book is if you and then your editor misses a bad spelling of a word or uses the wrong word in a sentence it changes the entire context as well as making people like my self point it out to 10 more people.

Find the time, take the time, make it right and make it fantastic details can make or break almost anything.

Jennifer E. McFadden said...

The small things can be the difference between a believable character and world. That's why I pour over my manuscript over and over....

Kelley Lynn said...

Ummm, can I have one of those cookies? I don't actually cook or bake (the scars on my hands are from the few times I've attempted).

And while I've given up the fight on becoming a good cook (its just too dangerous! :)) I will never give up the fight on becoming a good writer!

Great post!

Bkloss said...

Awesome!...but thanks a lot, I'm itching now *scratch scratch*

Peggy Eddleman said...

Jessie-- Of course! Lemme go grab one from the fridge... Here you go! Diet Coke always goes with cookies. Or anything, really.

Ozzland-- You're totally right! Dang. It's like it goes with everything! (The diet coke AND the quote. ;))

Jennifer-- I'm obsessive about pouring over my manuscript, too. We should start a club!

Kelley-- Hahaha! Hahaha! You're killing me! And of course you can have a cookie! They're even calorie free. :)

Barbara-- My bad. Sometimes I forget the power of suggestion.

Donna K. Weaver said...

Yes. Persevere! And those cookies look to die for.

Unknown said...

I will never look at a mosquito the same way again. The small things are important, having my characters do normal things sure makes them look like real people.

Peggy Eddleman said...

Donna-- Don't they just? I get hungry every time I open my blog!

Clarissa-- So true. You should have them get bit by a mosquito! ;)

Golden Eagle said...

Geez, you just described me. I'm covered in bugbites!

I love the quote! :)