It's the journey

“Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say.” – Sharon O'Brien 

“The best ones (sentences) always take you by surprise. They sneak into your head while you’re walking down the aisles at a supermarket, or flat-out assault you when you’re at your grandmother’s funeral, and you have to scramble to give the thought life before it’s gone forever. Cocktail napkins, palms, text messages sent to yourself.” – Adi Alsaid

Writers come in all ages but despite their differences in age often share commonalities in what gets them going.   These two quoted here – who have decades between them in experience and age – are good examples.

O’Brien is a full professor with many years of writing and teaching experience at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa.   A leading scholar on American author Willa Cather, she intended to be only a writer of scholarly works, but now also has won acclaim as a creative writer and essayist.   She said Willa Cather was fond of saying it’s the journey, not the arrival that matters (and) “this image of discovery characterizes both my writing career and the form the creative process takes.”

Meanwhile Alsaid is a young, fresh-out-of-college writer whose debut novel Let’s Get Lost just broke onto the scene.  Born and raised in Mexico City, where he currently lives and coaches basketball to high school and elementary students, he attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, then packed up his car and did a road trip to the California coastline that gave inspiration for his first book.  

 

Sharon O’Brien                             Adi Alsaid

Although apart by age, gender, cultural background and the type of writing that they do, these two, nonetheless, share the internal fire and curiosity that eventually leads every aspiring writer to writer’s moments … and terrific quotes about the process.   Happy writing.

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