Friday, May 11, 2012

Quotes and Cookies: Guts


"Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely essential." 

~Jessamyn West


I'd like to clarify. You can write a story and not have guts. But those really great stories? Those take a huge amount of guts to write! It takes guts to put yourself out there in the way needed to tell the story you're trying to tell, or to get inside a character's head you don't love being in. Sometimes it takes guts to put a character you love into an awful situation. Heck, it takes guts to write a lot of things when you step back and think about all the people that could potentially read it.

And sometimes, you get an idea for a story that is huge. Way bigger than you feel you can tackle. One that will stretch you further than you think you can go. It takes a huge amount of guts to attempt those kinds of stories.

Whew! It's a good thing that guts grow on trees!

Oh, wait. They don't. Unless you count this:

Florida, USA - Image Credit: taurusami
But I'm kind of betting that you don't....

Were you born with the kind of guts it takes to write, or have you had to develop them along the way?

Oh, and speaking of guts, have a cookie with some mighty tasty guts. ;)

Photo credit and recipe link

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think I've been on that Florida street before. All those guts hanging from the trees.

As for the cookies, you lost me at pumpkin.

Delia said...

I've definitely had to develop them along the way (late bloomer). Now I'm just waiting for my writing ability to catch up. Maybe I'll make some of them there whoopie pies while I wait. Because, NOM.

Lan said...

I'm definitely not a naturally gutsy person. Hence all the insecure writer stuff on my blog. Although strangely I'm not averse to having my characters fight through horrible situations. I can't even think about all the people who could potentially read my book! Much too scary!

Tara Tyler said...

guts come in handy for...

sending queries
accepting rejection
chopping up your masterpiece to make it better
not giving up!

happy mom's day! have a chore-free weekend!

DRC said...

I agree with Tara Tyler. It takes guts for:

sending queries
accepting rejection
chopping up your masterpiece to make it better
not giving up!

However, it also takes a LOT of guts to let someone read your manuscript for the very first time... :)

Patti said...

My guts are evolving for sure. Doing bad things to my characters has been the hardest.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Sometimes your mind has to go to dark places in order to tell the story the way it needs to be told, to develop a character who's not so nice, etc. Scary stuff.

But cookies make it easier. :)

Jenny S. Morris said...

It really does take A LOT of guts. And wow, those cookies look yummy!!

Angela Cothran said...

Can I substitute guts for passion? For some reason guts remind me of serial killers...maybe I've been reading too much Dan Wells :)

Kristine said...

I like that quote. I don't like thinking about guts and cookies at the same time though. Hahaha!

Kelley Lynn said...

I'll have a cookie please!

I think I was born with them. But its pretty hard to offend me at all so I guess I just truly want honest feedback when I put my work out there and I can take it (though it does hurt for awhile) when people might not like it.

Z said...

my guts are still forming...working on that one :) It was good to see you last week at the conference though!

Angela Brown said...

Lots of guts.

Lots and lots of guts...and none of the ones that grow on tress...too easy.

The kind needed to deal with 10, 20, 100 and more rejections...
The kind needed to handle when that writer friend turns your manuscript into a bloody massacre...
The kind needed to handle success.

Tonja said...

The first thing that came to mind for me is having the guts to accept rejection. You're right - it takes guts to write a story that goes to that naked, raw, painful place.

Lauren said...

It sure takes guts to write. I sometimes refrain from writing deep things because I feel like I put too much of my soul into it - and who wants to be rejected after that?

Carrie Butler said...

As they say: "No guts, no glory." :)

Have a great weekend, Pegasus!

Deniz Bevan said...

Argh! I always worry that I don't have enough guts. It's so much easier writing the sweet romantic scenes...

Unknown said...

I believe in lots of guts. Writers are gutsy people. I hope I have enough guts...

Valerie Hartman said...

Mixed results on the guts quotient. I can take critiques and feedback, love them. But I am still developing the guts to be free on the page. That is probably my biggest work in progress today.

Thanks for the points to ponder, and the cookies!

Annalisa Crawford said...

I would replace guts with stubbornness, personally. By being stubborn I have turned myself into a pretty decent writer, I think... I hope! :-)

Precy Larkins said...

Yummy cookies!

In this industry, you gotta have guts. You need to go out there and let people READ your work. Sure you can hide and cringe under your covers after, but you HAVE to put your work out there and bear the consequences. It's the only way.

Ruth Josse said...

You know what, it's this writing thing that has proved to me that I have guts. Way more than I thought I did!

Nicole said...

Absolutely true - writing takes a lot of guts! I knew that going in, but I'm constantly reminded at entirely new levels as I move forward.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Peggy! I love cookies. I bake once a week and try very hard to save some for the family. But it's hard.

Have a great day. And thanks again for visiting my blog.

Joylene Nowell Butler, Author