Holly Lisle
Holly Lisle
Holly Lisleis an American writer of fantasy, science fiction, paranormal romance and romantic suspense novels. She is also known for her work in educating writers, including her e-book Mugging the Muse: Writing Fiction for Love And Money, starting the Forward Motion Writers' Community web site, and her novel-writing and revision courses How to Think Sideways...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionWriter
CountryUnited States of America
earned large rejection stripes
I earned my writing stripes with a large man's shoebox overflowing with rejection slips... more than 100 before I got my first, 'Yes, we want this,' accompanied by a check.
harder joyous less life major nursing themes worked
Writing, for all that it's harder than nursing ever was, is also more joyous and more fun and a lot less dangerous. And the major themes of my life have become the major themes of my writing, too - so it has all worked out pretty well.
figuring lifetime thrill
Writing is a puzzle you'll spend your lifetime unlocking. You will never know it all; you will never know enough. You can always be better, and figuring out how to be better is part of the thrill and joy of the job.
couple few finished intent january keeping publish resolved turned weeks
I started writing with intent to publish on January 1st, 1985, when, as my New Year's resolution, I resolved to finish a book before I turned 25. It's one of only a few New Year's resolutions I remember keeping - I finished that one with a couple weeks to spare.
famous intended perhaps terribly
I always wrote, you know, but it was just this thing I did; what I intended was to become a terribly famous artist, perhaps with a stopover as a singer.
endless family means rejection sending slips stream talk unfinished work
Don't talk about writing. Write. Don't show unfinished work to anyone. Don't show finished work to non-writers. Get your opinions, not from friends and family, but by sending your work out to editors. An endless stream of rejection slips means you need to learn more. So learn more.
dies
I would rather be right and die than be wrong and kill.
children cities people
I had come to discover that "safe" was an illusion, a pretense that adults wrapped around their children- and sometimes themselves- to make the world seem comfortable. I had discovered that under that thin cover of let's-pretend, monsters and nightmares lay, and that not all of them came from places like the moonroads or the nightling cities. Some of the monsters were people we knew. People we thought we could trust.
voice speak silent
A voice speaks to each of us in the still silent places - a voice that tells us to stand, to have courage, to do what is right.
positive responsibility forever
If you don't accept responsibility for your own actions then you are forever chained to a position of defense.
motivational faces facts
You must learn to face the fact, always, that you choose to do what you do, and that everything you do affects not only you but others.
challenges delight endure
Every writer has something to say, but those writers whose works endure have dared to say something about the things that frighten them, confuse them, challenge them, and occasionally delight them.
moving good-friend your-side
Guilt is a good friend, isn't it? It will stand at your back when every other friend has abandoned you, and in the face of all reason it will stay by your side, and even when you tell it, "I am moving on now," it will say, "I shall never leave you; never." If only I could find a lover as faithful as guilt.
accepted
The only place you will be accepted is the place you make for yourself.