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FREE NOT QUITE WHAT I WAS PLANNING: SIX-WORD MEMOIRS BY WRITERS FAMOUS AND OBSCURE PDF

Larry Smith | 304 pages | 13 Feb 2008 | HarperCollins Publishers Inc | 9780061374050 | English | New York, NY, United States 27 Rare Words Every Writer Should Know

If you're a writer, you know how bad it can feel when you hit a dead end to a story you've been working on so hard, or when you finally finish that piece you're proud of but it keeps getting rejected. All writers have been there, and even though it's a mandatory a part of the writerly process, it still never exactly feels good. A writer's life isn't all bad, though: there are the uplifting moments when stories get published, and inspiration strikes like a thousand lightning bolts, too. One of my writing teachers described the writer's life to be similar to a roller coaster, full of build ups, terrifying drop offs, and a lot of tangled twists and turns to watch out for. Famous authors you love and adore have said similar thingsand fortunately for us, many Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure down their best advice in books that you can keep and read as many times as you wish. And in a world full of rejections, rewrites, and endless nights, writers need all the helpful advice we can get. This list of memoirs has been especially like medicine for my writer's soul. Each one is full of wisdom, hilarious anecdotes to help the writer in you feel better, and a journey that's relatable on different levels. So, for writers out there who are searching for great stories, grab a warm cup of coffee or tea and get cozy with these amazing memoirs. You need to read these:. After owning a pen and piece of paper, this book is the first thing every aspiring writer needs near her desk. Rich in detail and full of honest realities every writer faces, Stephen King's On Writing offers just about everything and anything you'll want to know about writing and the life that comes with it. Although his methods writing an entire book in a few months can be a little extreme, his thoughtful advice is like having a writing coach at your side. He's also lived a pretty incredible life worth reading about. This memoir isn't focused on writing, but it will show you how to convey a true story while making it sound as voluminous as any fictional narrative. The powerful emotions Jeanette Walls conveys through her unconventional upbringing that included homelessness, alcoholic parents, and learning independence at a young age is unforgettable. It doesn't matter that you might not be able to relate to the story Walls tells Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure you'll be able to identify with the emotions she renders, which is her greatest feat. Told through the captivating voice Joyce Carol Oates is known for, this is the story of her farm-life childhood and the moments she discovered her passion for reading and writing. If you're more of a fan of story collections, then this is the memoir for you. Each of her stories will inspire you and bring you back to your own childhood and the moments you first realized you wanted to become a writer. Alice Hoffman, one of the queens magical realism, has written the guide to life when terrible things come barging through. When her breast cancer diagnosis hit in the midst of her writing career, Hoffman couldn't seem to find the inspiring words she needed to hear. So she did what every great writer does: she wrote what was missing from the world. For any writer going through a tough time — which could range from illness to life obstacles — this book will bring you back on your feet, ready to write and live to the fullest you possibly can. This memoir will give you that extra push you know you need. With her wisdom and insight on the writing life, Annie Dillard just might change your perspective on writing and get you inspired to a point you didn't know was possible. Sure, there are Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure of books on how to write better, but Dillard will teach you how to have faith in your creativity in her intricate and beautifully written memoir. This book does so much more than inspire. At some point in your life, you might find out that your dream life, dream career, or dreamy significant other isn't everything you'd hoped it to be. That was the case for Elizabeth Gilbert, and in her brave and witty memoir, Gilbert goes on worldly adventure to rediscover herself again. This book is the perfect example of how unpredictable and crazy a writer's life can be — and what it means to take risks to do something meaningful. With only his trusted dog, Charley, and an RV, John Steinbeck set out on an all-American journey to rediscover his country and fall in love with the world around him again in this timely memoir. This may not include a ton of insight on writing, but it will remind you where the best stories come from: by taking in the world around you and telling an honest story from the heart. By Alex Weiss. Results for:. Famous Last Words of the US Presidents

Whether uttered unintentionally or with the full expectation of death, a person's last words are those that people will often remember and quote as if they somehow represent the core of who that person was. This is especially true of historical figures for which final words both humanize them and add to their mythology. Sometimes profound, sometimes mundane, here is a collection of famous last words spoken by some of our U. The first President of the United States was quoted as saying:. After serving two terms as the nation's first president, Washington retired to his Virginia plantation in In mid-December ofafter enduring harsh winters on horseback while inspecting his property, Washington developed a severe sore throat and breathing difficulties. In an effort to cure him, Washington's doctors are believed to have drained too much blood in the then-common practice of bloodletting, contributing to his death at age Acute bacterial epiglottitis the inflammation of the flap at the back of the throat is also frequently cited as the cause of death. The second President of the United States was quoted as saying:. Interestingly—and almost poetically—both Adams and Thomas Jefferson died July 4,the date of the 50th anniversary of the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. Adams is said to have uttered the words about his longtime rival, unaware that Jefferson had expired just a few hours earlier. Congestive heart failure is believed to have been the cause of Adams' death. In his final moments, the last recorded words of the third President of the United States were:. Jefferson's last words are often cited as "Is it the Fourth? While Jefferson did, in fact, utter those words on his deathbed, they were not his last. Jefferson was reported to have died of complications of kidney failure accompanied by pneumonia. The sixth President of the United States was quoted as saying:. But I am composed. The second eldest child of John Adams died of a stroke in Washington, D. Earlier that day, Adam, a staunch opponent of the Mexican-American War, apparently rose up to protest a bill in front of the U. House of Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure meant to honor war veterans and immediately collapsed to the floor of the chambers. Before his death, the 11th President of the United States reportedly said:. For all eternity, I love you. Polk is reported to have said this to his wife who was at his side when he died of cholera at the age of The 12th President of the United States was quoted as saying:. Taylor died of complications from gastroenteritis at the age of The 16th President of the United States was quoted as saying:. Some say his last words were, "It doesn't really matter. He was shot a short time later. The 17th President of the United States was quoted as saying:. I need no doctor. I can overcome my own troubles. Johnson died of a stroke soon after at the age of The 18th President of the United States was quoted as saying:. Grant was suffering from throat cancer at the time of his death at age The 26th President of the United States was quoted as saying:. The 29th President of the United States was quoted as saying:. Go on, read some more. Harding was reported to have said this to his wife, Florence, as she read a complimentary news piece from the "Saturday Evening Post" about him Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure an official trip to the West Coast. Harding is believed to have died of congestive heart failure. The 32nd President of the United States was quoted as saying:. Roosevelt was reported to have died of a stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage shortly after. Much in the same way that Roosevelt's polio had been hidden from the public, his failing health during his fourth term had also been glazed over, leaving the nation shocked. The 34th President of the United States was quoted as saying:. I'm ready to go. God, take me. Eisenhower had been suffering from heart failure and is believed to have died of a coronary thrombosis blood clot obstruction which triggered a heart attack. The 35th President of the United States was quoted as saying:. Jacqueline Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure reported that this her husband's reply to a statement made by Nellie Connally, the wife of Governor , who asserted just moments before the assassin's bullet hit: "Mr. President, you certainly can't say that doesn't love you. The 37th President of the United States was quoted as saying:. Nixon was reported to have called out to his housekeeper as he suffered a stroke at his home in Park Ridge, New Jersey. Damage to the brain caused a cerebral edema swelling from which Nixon slipped into a coma and died the next day. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Cheatham ML. The death of George Washington: an end to the controversy? Am Surg. Pinals RS. Theodore Roosevelt's inflammatory rheumatism. J Clin Rheumatol. More in End of Life Concerns. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure Up. What are your concerns? Article Sources. Verywell Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Related Articles. Armed Forces. Inspiring Pet Loss Quotations. Verywell Health uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. By using Verywell Health, you accept our. 7 Memoirs Every Aspiring Writer Needs To Read

If you consider yourself to be a true book-lover, than you know full well the incredible magic of reading. Unfortunately, and somewhat miraculously, not everyone is sold on the activity, but these quotes on the power of books from famous readers and writers just may convince even the most stubborn non-readers to visit their local library and give it a try. For as long as I can remember, my true love has always been reading. Ever since I was a little kid sneaking stories under the Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure with a flashlight late at night, I have been obsessed with books, whether it be actually reading them, collecting them, writing about them, or, of course, talking about them. Ask anyone who has had a conversation with me and they will tell you that, inevitably, it leads to the same subject time and time again: reading. Whether I am talking to a fellow book-lover or not, I'm quick to share new reading recommendations, discuss hot book club picks, and dish on author gossip. I am just as quick to try and convince non-readers why they should adopt my favorite hobby as their own. I gush about how fun and exciting discovering a new story can be, I praise reading's inspirational powers, and I spurt out the many ways books can actually make someone a better person. Sadly, not everyone is swayed by my argument, which is why I've turned to celebrities to do my bidding for me and convince non-readers the true magic of cracking open a book. In case you still need proof, either for yourself or someone you're trying to turn to the bookish side, here are 15 quotes about the power of books from actors, politicians, authors, and more. By Sadie Trombetta. Reading makes me smarter. Reading gives me something to talk about later on. Reading is the unbelievably healthy way my attention deficit disorder medicates itself. Reading is grist. Reading is bliss. I learned to read at age three, and there discovered was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive. To read is to enter another world in a way different from any other art form. The reader is actively participating, activating the pages of a book simply by picking it up and beginning. We discover through reading that we are less alone, as the inner lives of characters on the page become accessible to us. No matter how foreign or different a life experience might be, the writer is always saying to the reader, and the reader to the writer, me too. No, read in order to live. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home. To read is to voyage through time. You open them, and you go through into another world. I'm actually walking around in a haze, spellbound by the book and looking at everything through a different prism. I knew right there in prison Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure reading had changed forever the course of my life. As I see it today, the ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive. Just like playing a song, picking up a book again that has memories can take you back to another place or another time. Reading and writing have always pulled me out of the darkest experiences in my life. Stories have given me a place in which to lose myself. They have allowed me to remember. They have allowed me to forget. They have allowed me to Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure different endings and better possible worlds. Results for:.