EDIT 26 January: The correct link to the comic has been added. The name of the artist is Emm Roy and her Tumblr can be found here: http://emmisnotshortforemma.tumblr.com/
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Hello everyone,
Thank you for being here with me in 2015. I’m offering something a little different for my first newsletter of the year. It’s a short video of Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451, talking about his love of books, libraries and writing. Bradbury’s passion is soothing yet invigorating, and is guaranteed to make you smile. The video is appropriate for all ages and also includes a fluffy cat:
A Conversation with Ray Bradbury
Your prompt for this week will be the video. Select a word, phrase or sentence (or several – however many you need) that catches your ear, and write. I’ve included my favourite quotes below, in case you’re not able to watch the video but would still like to get started.
My absolute favourite quote is this one, partly because of the strength with which he says it:
“Love what you do and do what you love. Don’t listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it! You do what you want, what you love.”
Now, every time you start doubting yourself, just remember these words and think, “Do I really want to disappoint Ray Bradbury?” and then you will think, “Of course not, I’m not a monster, I’d better get to writing,” and then you will write.
Merely being inspired isn’t always enough, though. Our brains can still get in the way. For the times when your mind simply won’t allow you to focus, I find that we need inspiration of a different kind. This comic should help:
http://emmisnotshortforemma.tumblr.com/post/100838369265
And as a bonus, you can also use the comic as a prompt!
After today, newsletters will be published every two weeks on a Monday. (I was so excited to share this video that I decided to ignore my schedule and write to you now.) Some newsletters will also contain links to videos, articles or comics. Please know that everything I link will be appropriate for all ages. While it’s possible to embed videos and images in emails, I’m really not a fan of that.
Thank you again for being here. I’m grateful for every one of you. Hope you enjoy the newsletter and happy writing!
Zee
Selected quotes from A Conversation with Ray Bradbury
• “Clarisse McClellan is Ray Bradbury.”
• “You see, all my characters write the book. I don’t write the book.”
• “At the centre of my books is the gift of life.”
• “I’m going to have a t-shirt made. It says, ‘Stand at the top of the cliff and jump off and build your wings on the way down.'” (Where can I get this shirt?)
• “You find the author who can lead you through the dark.”
• “I spent nine dollars and eighty cents and I wrote Fahrenheit 451.”