Ray Bradbury - A Great Inspiration!

By Cindy R. Williams
(Also posted on ANWA Founder and Friends Blog)

One of my favorite authors, Ray Bradbury passed away on June 5, at the transit of Venus. He was 91 years old.

If you are Ray Bradbuy fan, that will make sense to you.


If you don't know his books, you probably know the hit TV series based on his works - Star Trek.

Many I know are "Trekies" including myself.

I don't know too many facts about the man's personal life other than the only person he ever dated became his wife and they had four daughters. He won a Pulitzer. He wrote many, many books and seemed to be nice fellow.

I do know he said some inspiring things about writing.

Here are a few:

“I don’t believe in being serious about anything. I think life is too serious to be taken seriously.”
"If you don't like what your doing, then don't do it."

"My stories run up and bite me on the leg- I respond by writing down everything that goes on during the bite. When I finish, the idea lets go and runs off."

" I spent three days a week for 10 years educating myself in the public library, and it's better than college. People should educate themselves - you can get a compolete ecucations for no money. At the end of 10 years, I had read every book in the library and I'd written a thoughsand stories."

"I don't need an alarm clock. My ideas wake me."

“Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.”

"Remember: Plot is more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations."

My favorite line of all time from Star Trek is said with two fingers, pointer and tall man, split in a "V" . . . "Live long and prosper."