ahines's blog

Greetings again from this month’s Writer in Residence, which is kind of like getting to be Miss December without having to take any clothes off.

Today’s “inspirational quote about writing” is from C.S. Lewis who, as everyone knows, wrote the wonderful Narnia series of fantasy books for children but who also wrote even better books on theology for grown-ups. Fewer lions and snow queens- more indepth analysis of that tricky God notion.

Lewis has this to say about writing,

“We are what we believe we are.”

All those of you who are now gingerly raising a hand and saying, “But Ms. Hines, this quote does not appear to have anything to do with writing.” get ten points and the beautiful Frigidaire freezer. At first glance, it doesn’t. But this is what I think.

Our second inspirational quote on writing comes from James Fitzjames Stephen who was known to say, “It’s not my fault. My mother named me that.”

OK, maybe he didn’t say that, but who would have blamed him?

What he did say was this, “Originality does not consist of saying what no one has ever said before but in saying exactly what you think yourself.” Darn, I wish I’d thought of that first.

It’s a little cowing to be taking over as writer-in-residence from a predecessor who has won all kinds of writing awards. There ought to be an award for Writer Who Toils Without Recognition. Except that, of course, anyone who won such an award would automatically be disqualified from actually receiving it. Maybe we could get around this to some extent by not having an award ceremony but simply shipping the plaque or bowl or whatever to the winning author in a brown paper wrapper marked “Occupant.” Or, better still, with someone else’s name on it altogether.