How to Turn Book Quotes into Daily Writing Inspiration
How to Turn Book Quotes into Daily Writing Inspiration
If you find it a struggle to know what to write about, I hope the process below will help you, not only to find inspiration and ideas from what you read, but to make you curious about the world we live in.
The basics are easy: find a book you love, and write a favourite quote from the book in your notebook or writing app.
I will show an example instead of detailed instructions.
Quote:
“Because the enrichment of the lord was dependent on violence, this incentivised each lord to make ever-greater investment in weapons and warfare, rather than develop new, innovative productive techniques (much less tend to the social welfare of his serfs).” - A people’s guide to capitalism, Hadas Thier
How to Respond
Read your quote, re-read it, focus on the meaning of the words, and then write a few short paragraphs, in your own words, stating your takeaways.
You can add in connected thoughts from other books or article which you have consumed.
Example:
“In feudal times the gap between the haves and have-nots was maintained by violence, or the perceived threat of violence by the lord of the manor with the support of the state (in various forms). The threat of violence had to be maintained to keep the hierarchy intact.
The lord of the manor had to constantly reinvest in more weapons to maintain power. The reinvestment in weapons caused certain areas of innovation to flourish, while other areas of innovation stalled. Money was channeled to maintain the economic system.
Paradoxically this system locked the lords of the day into their own self-sabotaging system. Their system, based partly on fear instilled in others was birthed from their own deep fears.
Thus, fear existed on both sides. Because the Lords locked themselves into this system, they were slow to adopt other possible economic systems - although they did explore.
There existed then this feudal interdependence between the lords and the state to maintain their chosen economic model.” - Werner Mouton (full essay in progress)
You can now decide to keep this as a note to the book quote for future insights, or you can develop the concept further into an essay.
How to Develop Your Response Further
How do you develop the above further? Start by asking clarifying questions and exploring your thoughts further.
Clarify key terms and context (Who are the "haves" and "have-nots"? What forms did violence take?)
Add historical examples or evidence to support your points.
Explore the implications of the quote—why does this matter?
Consider alternative perspectives or complexities.
Simple Structure for Daily Writing and Essays:
Start with the quote: Use it as a springboard for your own thinking.
Paraphrase and interpret: What does the quote mean in your own words?
Ask questions: What issues or themes does the quote raise? How does it connect to broader topics?
Support your ideas: Use examples, evidence, or further explanation.
Consider structure: Organise your response logically, moving from interpretation to analysis to broader implications.
Remember:
The goal of this post is not to provide a detailed process of how to write essays, but to provide guidance and inspiration to help you write more on a daily basis using the books you enjoy as a starting point.
Try this with your next favourite quote and see where your thoughts lead you!