Quote

I think climbing mountains or buildings or whatever has been a really good metaphor for finishing my work. Because no matter how tired you get, no matter how you feel like you can't possibly do this, somehow you do.

Octavia Butler

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Octavia Butler
Good
Tired
Finishing
Think
Building
Buildings
Thinking
Whatever
Climbing
Like
Matter
Mountains
Feel
Metaphor
Feels
Possibly
Work
Somehow
Really
Mountain

More quotes by Octavia Butler

Image
The essentials are to learn to shape God with forethought, care, and work to educate and benefit their community, their families and themselves and to contribute to the fulfillment of the Destiny.
Octavia Butler
Image
There is no end To what a living world Will demand of you.
Octavia Butler
Image
Civilization is the way one's own people live. Savagery is the way foreigners live.
Octavia Butler
Image
And by the way, I wanted to point out that Kindred is not science fiction. You'll note there's no science in it. It's a kind of grim fantasy.
Octavia Butler
Image
Well, writing was what I wanted to do, it was always what I wanted to do. I had novels to write so I wrote them.
Octavia Butler
Image
I began reading science fiction before I was 12 and started writing science fiction around the same time.
Octavia Butler
Image
You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.
Octavia Butler
Image
Civilization is to groups what intelligence is to individuals. It is a means of combining the intelligence of many to achieve ongoing group adaptation.
Octavia Butler
Image
Belief initiates and guides action - or it does nothing.
Octavia Butler
Image
You are horror and beauty in rare combination.
Octavia Butler
Image
I was attracted to science fiction because it was so wide open. I was able to do anything and there were no walls to hem you in and there was no human condition that you were stopped from examining.
Octavia Butler
Image
I was raised Baptist, and I like the fact that I got my conscience installed early.
Octavia Butler
Image
People who want to write either do it or they don't. At last I began to say that my most important talent - or habit - was persistence. Without it, I would have given up writing long before I finished my first novel. It's amazing what we can do if we simply refuse to give up.
Octavia Butler
Image
When your rage is choking you, it is best to say nothing.
Octavia Butler
Image
And I have this little litany of things they can do. And the first one, of course, is to write - every day, no excuses. It's so easy to make excuses. Even professional writers have days when they'd rather clean the toilet than do the writing.
Octavia Butler
Image
A victim of God may, Through learning adaption, Become a partner of God, A victim of God may, Through forethought and planning, Become a shaper of God. Or a victim of God may, Through shortsightedness and fear, Remain God's victim, God's plaything, God's prey.
Octavia Butler
Image
First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won't. Habit is persistence in practice.
Octavia Butler
Image
Science fiction let me do both. It let me look into science and stick my nose in everywhere.
Octavia Butler
Image
The only black people you found were occasional characters or characters who were so feeble-witted that they couldn't manage anything, anyway. I wrote myself in, since I'm me and I'm here and I'm writing.
Octavia Butler
Image
Every story I create, creates me. I write to create myself.
Octavia Butler