This post is for Alex Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writers Support Group (click the link for details on what that means and how to join. You will also find a list of bloggers signed up to the challenge that are worth checking out. The first Wednesday of every month, we all post our thoughts, fears or words of encouragement for fellow writers.
This month’s question — Have you ever read a line in novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy?
Co-hosts this month are: Diedre Knight, Tonya Drecker, Bish Denham, Olga Godim, and JQ Rose!
xx
Author envy? Ha! All the time! If you are asking this question, you don’t know about my 69 collections of inspiration derived from books I read. Here are a few:
- Flashed a smile that would have been at home on a shark
- She’s humming and he doesn’t know how he’ll break the news
- Did tragedy cause fissures, open them wider—or did tragedy merely turn on the light so you could see the fissure that had always been there?
- If a man tires of London, he is tired of life
- I hadn’t had lunch with Patricia since the last time the Red Sox won the pennant.
Don’t use any of these–they’re directly from someone else’s fiction (American copyright law allows me to copy a small snippet).
If you want more, visit my entire collection.
#iwsg #amwriting
@TheIWSG
Copyright ©2023 worddreams.wordpress.com – All rights reserved.
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also the author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice, a columnist for NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Savage Land Winter 2024.
worddreams.wordpress.com 
I don’t have author envy, and some first lines are extraordinary. 🙂
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In a literal sense, I do–how cool would it be to have that much talent!
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Back in 2023 again, no envy, definitely not – but even more admiration for great writing, often by candlelight, in longhand, in winter.
.
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The connotation of ‘evil’ seems to stick to this word ‘envy’. I had the same reaction as you–no not envy! Admiration works and I love the extras you added.
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Tried to find the link you spoke of to find the list of bloggers, but I can’t find it!
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Here it is:
https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html
Even if you don’t join #IWSG, this is a great list of fellow writers. I use it to monthly stay in touch with kindred souls.
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I think I signed up, but when it asked for access to my email box, I backed out, so we shall see. I don’t give others access to my email addresses unless I have permission from the owner of it.
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I don’t know what that’s about. I don’t remember approving access to my email—I too am paranoid of giving out permissions. I just checked the list and you’re not there, but maybe it takes a bit to get added.
But, I don’t think you have a blog so that may be why you are having a problem. You have to post monthly (or Alex deletes your name from the list) and you don’t have anywhere to post. FB doesn’t count as far as I know.
It just may not be the right place for you to join, but still great to find a writer’s community.
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Good ones, Jacqui. They show that you are an invested reader! Inspiration is what keeps us going, right? And a dollop of envy on top. 🙂
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I do love these lines for inspiration. They get my brain working!
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Hi Jacqui, its great that you have a list of lines you appreciated. I loved Dickens’ depiction of a battle field in The Battle of Life. It is the best one I’ve ever read and I read a lot of books about war. I was envious of that scene.
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I haven’t read that. I’ll have to look it up. I also read about war and wartime. I like those where it is presented with hope.
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I’m thinking, Jacqui. I’m not sure many books about war that I have read are presented in a hopeful light.
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There are wars engaged in because there is no alternative. WWII might have been one. I’m not sure if that counts as ‘hopeful’.
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Hopeful is not a word I think of when I think of war. My father was a prisoner of war in WWII and I’m sure they were hopeful the war would end so they’d be released, but the idea of a war itself being hopeful is making me think.
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I guess it’s the consequences if whatever the war is about (stopping Nazis from taking over the world, changing cultures and values) isn’t stopped. That’s the hope. I’ve never gone to war, had lots of family who gave their lives and commitment, and now two kids. For my kids, it’s to protect American values and American people. I hope they never have to put that into action.
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I hope it never becomes necessary for them as well!
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Hi, Jacqui – I don’t write outside of my blog. Often when reading other blogs I mumble to myself “Why didn’t I think of that?!” ❤
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That’s funny. I know what you mean!
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Fun that you have this online! I have two cloth-bound journals I collect favorite lines in. Astoundingly, I forgot about them until it was too late for today’s post, which means I have not been properly recording new ones.
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I’d like to say I am conscientious about keeping mine UTD, but I’d be lying!
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Not this kind of envy. For them, only admiration.
My kind of envy (a peaceful one, because it never involves wishing anything bad to/ about the other) is the one towards writers which I think are not much better than me. At comparable writing skills… what am I lacking that I do not have her/ his success?
And the answer is, usually, good luck, some good connections, money for promotions, etc.
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That is true, Marina. It’s not all about talent. There’s a lot more in the formula that makes success happen.
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I’m constantly inspired by other writers.
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I am, too, sometimes what I shouldn’t do, often what I want to work on.
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For me, it’s seeing the craft in action, marinating in the worlds, and watching their characters come alive. Good writing is a pleasure to read.
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You certainly know how to organize and get the most out of everything you do, Jacqui. One and one always equals more than two with you. Have a great March!
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Hehee. I sure wish that was true, Louise!
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The tragedy quote struck home with me. Some writers know just what to say 🙂
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yep, I agree. It’s sticky, innit.
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You have an amazing collection, woman. Handy, helpful and organized.
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I enjoy going through them.
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Well, how about that? My post yesterday was about envy, though this is from a slightly different angle. When I read a beautiful passage that someone else wrote, I first have admiration, and then I think about the craft and the reasons it works so well.
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Really good post you made yesterday, Pete.
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This is so true.. good thing you reminded me not to use them because you know me, I might have forgotten. Some of my best poems come from a line I write in a comment. Sometimes I go back and snag them so they don’t “steal” them. lol❣️
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You can use a small portion without attribution, but it can’t be recognizable. While I’ve forgotten where these came from, others–like the author–might not!
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Thanks, It just popped out and I never had to clean up much till later.. like now I’d noticed I needed to change things and then add a picture. 💗
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I don’t feel envy, Jacqui, but I will feel in awe of another writer’s skill. And, typically, I’ll then question my own ability. 😊
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Aw–that’s a great word instead of ‘envy’, Gwen!
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I loved those collections you curated for us. I’ve snagged a few goodies for inspiration from books from time to time too. I occasionally feel a stroke of genius in my writing that I could almost HOPE some other writer would think “Oooohhh…” about. I’m sure you’ve had that effect on people also.
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I know what you mean. Yours is probably some humorous take on parentings–or MA!
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Hopefully my parenting book had some good ones. I was thinking more of my unpublished novel, which will hopefully someday see the light of day and make some poor schlub envious. Haha! I don’t really mean that. 🙂
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Awesome lines! Words like enchanted, and inspired come to mind whenever an epic line gives me pause.
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It is that pause, innit, where we have to relish the phrase, roll it around in our minds to absorb every bit. Love it.
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I wish I had written the one about the smile on a shark. Love that one!
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Hehee. The visual with that is amazing.
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I wish I could remember a line right now, but yes it’s happened to me.
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Oh, I can never remember them, which is why I write them down!
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It’s always good to have models to inspire you. Love your list.
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They remind me to think outside the box.
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Keeping those snippets is a great idea! Otherwise, some do get lost in the holes of memory, and that is a shame.
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Sometimes, when I’m stuck in my writing, I just read them.
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Wow. Your collection of snippets is great. I feel this way with almost any book I read. I think the biggest (and most fun one) was, “Forty-two.”
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You know I’m going off to find that book. I think our tastes are somewhat similar.
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A fun post, Jacqui. There are definitely authors who for whatever reason make me sigh and wish I was that good. Like you, I pay attention and study what they wrote, treating it as a learning experience. ❤
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I’m that way (often with your phrasing, also). I try to figure out why their few words begat such huge understanding within me.
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There are some authors that completely blow me away, and from a writing/learning persepective, it feels like I’ve discovered treasure. 🙂
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Inspiration can come from seeing what they’ve written.
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I love when just a few words open pages of realization within me. What fun.
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No – I just admire authors, but I can understand it. 🙂
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Great attitude. Envy is rather a wasted emotion, innit? And still, I can’t beat it back!
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That’s great that you’ve saved some of the lines you really thought were great. Maybe I should start saving first lines I like for inspiration.
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When an author says something in such a way it takes my breath away, I want to remember it.
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I love writers who have prose in their stories. I am currently listening to an audiobook series by Gregory David Roberts. His first book, “Shantaram” now “The Mountain Shadow” is told in the first person of his life story of breaking out of prison in Australia to fleeing to India where he becomes involved with the dark underworld of gangsters. His writing wraps around my mind and heart. His writing gives me inspiration and ideas.
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Oh my. What a life he led!
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And coming up with great first lines like that is so tough!
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Yeah it is! One first line I’ll never forget went something like “I was surprised I was dying in English.” Who could not keep reading?
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Yes, I feel author envy on a regular basis. For the longest time, I thought I was alone in that. Apparently not! I keep an Evernote notebook of favorite metaphors and similes.
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Yep. Mine isn’t negative envy. Maybe it’s more admiration, but it is definitely there!
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🙂
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Maybe not so much envy, but a motivation to work harder to evoke such a response with my own words. I love your collection, Jacqui!
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Well said. Many of the lines I save inspire me to write more. I want to do that, too!
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Oh yeah. I’ve definitely wished I could write like Kahlil Gibran or John Steinbeck… sigh…
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Worthy dreams, Bish!
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Not envy, Jacqui. But I’ve found plenty of inspiration.
Apple’s continuity between devices (iPhone, iPad, and Mac Mini) makes it easy to grab an inspiring line from an ebook and paste into the Notes app. I’m focused on dialogue, metaphor, and simile patterns. I use inspiring lines to come up with my versions without plagiarism. As I use my freshly minted line, a quick mark-through digitally eliminates cluttering a story with duplicates.
Raymond Chandler penned one of my favorites, a line by Philip Marlowe from Farewell My Lovely. “It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window.”
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Raymond Chandler is one of my favorite prose stylists.
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Chandler kept it PG, using his way with words to convey images of people and places, plus he sets unique tones and moods. If read within the context of the period, excellent examples to be gleaned and updated for today’s readers.
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Agreed!
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We are so alike, Grant. Yep–me too!
What a line! I’ve never heard that one.
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I’m always amazed at your organization… I have collected favorite sayings and snippets of stories in my journals going back to the late 70s–but they are mostly hand written and I’d have to go through a large tote to find them all. I do appreciate good quotes and more often use them–with credit–in speech.
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Ah, you don’t have severe arthritis in your hands, do you? That’s why you still handwrite. Just wait. When that day comes, you’ll be typing into a cloud-based notekeeper also!
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Oh, that happens to me many, many times. And when it does I linger over the phrase and soak it in. Plot twists, too. I love being in awe of someone else’s writing!
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So true, Mae. That soaking it in–great feeling.
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Pingback: #IWSG Author envy anyone? — – uwerolandgross
All the time. I often read a line and think, why couldn’t I write lines like that. Here’s one: “She was famous for letting off hurricane-force wind capable of stunning the sparrows on her balcony and sending them spiralling down to the ground.” Brilliant!
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Yeah that is brilliant. Oh to be able to say things that way. Thanks for sharing it, Darlene.
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The one that stuck with me is “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” It grabs you from the start, and keeps the same wondrous tone and pace throughout! Masterful!
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I have to say, I definitely kept reading!
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Envy, emmm, not really. I do appreciate the use of words and the cleverness associated with their work. It may be conceited, but I like the way I write. Of course that may not be so great for sales, but… 🙂
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You are comfortable in your own skin–an admirable trait. I’ll check out your books, Vince.
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Hi Jacqui – no … I don’t have author envy – though I’d love to be able to write (and want) to have one published … yours certainly raise the bar towards those authorly heights – cheers Hilary
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But you do love reading, Hilary. That is wonderful.
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