O the Wit ‘o the Writing Irish

Top ‘o the morning to you!

It’s both Monday and St. Patrick’s Day—what better time to share useful Irish wit regarding life and writing?

You know I have to slant everything toward writing.

My students roll their eyes. But they love these Irish proverbs just the same.

“You’ll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind.”

My stories won’t live if they remain in my imagination. Write!

“The grace of God is found between the saddle and the ground.”

If won’t take risks, I won’t find God’s grace. And just because I fall doesn’t mean it’s over. Write!

“You won’t learn to swim on the kitchen floor.”

Going through the motions isn’t the same as doing productive work. Write!

“No two people ever lit a fire without disagreeing.”

Don’t be derailed by criticism. Expect divergent opinions. Write!

“A bad workman quarrels with his tools.”

I can write a novel with a wheezy 486, for crying out loud. And no Internet. Write!

“Time and patience would bring a snail to America.”

So I write slowly, so what? Write!

“Many a sudden change takes place on an unlikely day.”

The market is fickle. Who knows what The Next Big Thing will be? Maybe my book. Write!

“The best horse doesn’t always win the race.”

If less talented writers can crank out bestsellers, good for them. What is that to me? Write!

“Never give up, never surrender.”

Ha. This one’s from Galaxy Quest and is not Irish at all. But you get the idea.

So write already!

And have a happy Monday as you do.