Thank You, Mary Oliver!

Posted on by Victoria

What fun it was to talk with Brian and Wynne last week in our podcast about NaNoWriMo about the discipline involved in writing. Words like “accountability” and “productivity” seem to be at odds with creativity…and yet…a well-chosen tool might make the difference in establishing — and maintaining — momentum.


Me? I’ve said this before. I love the ‘notes’ app on my phone, but I keep pen and paper handy and I’m not alone. You’ll hear about in this week’s podcast – coming up tomorrow (11/18). It’s a fabulous visit with author Lauren Scott. Sticky notes and journals are still de rigueur for many of us, and I love it.


But don’t take it from me. Mary Oliver said it first and best in this quote:


“It’s very important to write things down instantly or you can lose the way you were thinking out a line. I have a rule that if I wake up at 3 in the morning and think of something, I write it down. I can’t wait until morning – it’ll be gone.”


Truth! And whether it’s sleep deprivation gilding the lily or not, I often think those 3am thoughts are stellar. (Mostly they’re not, but a girl can dream, right?)


I have a few friends who are far tech-ier than I am when it comes to notes and writing aids and I recently had a convo about apps and tools — some that connect seamlessly (dubious, am I) to word processing software. I listen. I don’t learn much because my fear factor is pretty pronounced.


Coincidentally, the day after I had a chat about fancier tools, B.A. Durham – posted a thoughtful round-up of what’s available with a couple of critiques and insights.


I hadn’t digested all the ‘this and that’ in my quick conversation with my writer friend because of the aforementioned fearfulness, but taking the time to review Durham’s summary was worthwhile. I could read…re-read…and then poke around a little.

I still don’t know if I’m game to go high-tech with my notes and such, but it’s good to be informed about the power of tools that can assist with plot development and outlining, too. Share-worthy, even. And hey – if you’ve used any of the apps mentioned, please weigh in with your thoughts.


The bigger message? However we do it, let’s keep capturing those bits of brilliance when they arrive…whenever they arrive. Here at Heart of the Matter we appreciate every one of our readers for their thoughtfulness, kindness and heart. Especially right now.

Vicki 😊

P.S. Yes…we love Mary Oliver! If you missed Wynne’s recent post, take a look. So much inspiration!


35 thoughts on “Thank You, Mary Oliver!”

    1. Feeling the same. This post was scheduled for yesterday and I couldn’t do it. Still not sure I’m in the right frame of mind. Taking my time and being cautious about my social media output and consumption. Thank you, Dr. Stein. ❤️

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  2. nice that we both quoted Mary today, she really knew of what she wrote. and speaking of writing, I’m right there with you on how I keep notes, old school style, and it works for me

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  3. Who doesn’t love Mary Oliver. Gosh, her words are like sunlight. Even the heavier ones.
    And yes, I too love my Notes app. And pen and paper. Notes though can do just about anything. It has many functions that I don’t fully know, but would love to learn. And it’s easy enough to find a YT tutorial.
    I don’t use anything fancier, though I do save my thoughts in notes sometimes, especially poems that just roll off my mind suddenly.
    And the benefit is we almost always have the thing with us.
    Perhaps I can leave you with my absolute favourite Mary Oliver quote to uplift your spirits. “Someone once handed me a box of darkness. It took me a while to realize, it too was a gift.”
    With my love 💕

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    1. You are on a roll this afternoon – bringing me all the smiles. Thank you! And I bet if you research a little, some smarty pants person may have beat you to the punch. A brilliant idea, I say! 🥰

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      1. I will see if I can find one on Amazon! Or, better yet, my son works for a company similar to kickstarter. My son brought us BirdBuddy AI bird feeder. Maybe he’ll take on my new project. 😉

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  7. I often think of solutions, ideas, etc. in the middle of the night so I keep a little notebook by the bed. Larry is not pleased when I use my phone light to write but you don’t want to lose those late-night thoughts. xxoo

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  9. There is something about seeing and listening to words in differnt forms that seems to register with specific parts of the brain. I have read ten drafts of something I’ve written on a computer screen, print it out, and suddenly I see errors that my mind bypassed before.

    I’m old school in a lot of ways and typically keep a notebook by my bedside. When I think of something as I’m lying there, I will get up and write it down. It’s a good technique for letting something go, knowing you’ll be able to retrieve it the next day, unlike my unreliable brain. 😊

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  10. I’m late to this post because this week has had me dragging. But, I’m catching up. 🙂 I love Mary Oliver and often return to her poetry for solace. Lately, I’ve been waking up around 2 or 3 am with an active mind. But I get up after tossing and turning for a few minutes, then I walk into our living room, plop down on the sofa and pick up my current journal to write those thoughts down because they’re so easily lost in the morning.

    I love this line: “Words like “accountability” and “productivity” seem to be at odds with creativity…and yet…a well-chosen tool might make the difference in establishing — and maintaining — momentum.”

    And I’m happy to learn that I’m not the only one who uses the notes app on my phone. But those sticky notes and journals (I seem to collect them) are awesome. Great post! ❤️🤗

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    1. Thank you, Lauren! I hear you…it’s been a week and then some. Appreciate you anytime you pop by – your comments always make me smile. Cheers to capturing those notes and glimmers – however we can. Xo! 🥰

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  11.  “let’s keep capturing those bits of brilliance when they arrive” – yes, yes, yes!! Thank you for this wonderful round-up and encouragement. It’s so wonderful to be in this community of accountable and amazing writers! Thanks for leading the charge!

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