Best Writing Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings Page 3

“A lot of writers that I know have told me that the first book you write, you write about your childhood, whether you want to or not. It calls you back.”

Knows Want Writing Firsts Book Childhood Your Children

Author:Tea Obreht

“In terms of people that I know, my grandmother and my mother are huge influences on my writing life because they are both massively supportive and always have been of my career.”

People Knows Writing Has Beens Mother Term Careers Influence Huge Grandmother My Grandmother Supportive Writing Life

Author:Tea Obreht

“When I hit a block, regardless of what I am writing, what the subject matter is, or what's going on in the plot, I go back and I read Pablo Neruda's poetry. I don't actually speak Spanish, so I read it translation. But I always go back to Neruda. I don't know why, but it calms me, calms my brain.”

Knows Writing Matter Speak Brain Subjects Calm Block Plot Translations Subject Matter

Author:Tea Obreht

“I write a song to be recorded. And to some extent to be performed, but definitely more to be recorded than performed, because the recording will last longer than a performance.”

Writing Lasts Song Performances

Author:Will Oldham

“Writing songs is a profession; so it's not an attempt to take things from my interactions with other people and for some reason give them to a total stranger to listen to. I find it offensive to hear other people do that.”

People Giving Writing Reason Song Stranger Profession Interaction Offensive Writing Songs Interaction With Others

Book:Will Oldham on Bonnie

Source: Will Oldham on Bonnie

“I know about hip-hop culture, whether it's graffiti writing or DJ-ing or being an MC.”

Knows Writing Culture Hip Hop Hips Hops Djs Graffiti

Author:Josh Peck

“I'm always most interested in writing about things that I don't understand.”

Writing

Author:Kevin Powers

“I've been writing poems and stories since I was about 13.”

Writing Stories Writing Poems

Author:Kevin Powers

“Poetry and prose are of equal importance to me as a reader, and there doesn't seem to be much difference in my own writing.”

Writing Seems Differences My Own Reader Equal Importance Prose

Author:Kevin Powers

“Writing was always an aspiration, but I'd kept it a secret even from myself.”

Writing Secret Aspiration

Author:Kevin Powers

“I know that the writers I read and admire all have an influence on my work, but trying to determine to what degree any particular piece of input changes the way I think about writing seems counterproductive.”

Thinking Knows Way Writing Trying Seems Pieces Influence Particular Degrees Determine Admire Input Counterproductive

Author:Kevin Powers

“Every decade of my life I attempted to write a novel. But I had nothing to say. I was far too self-absorbed, and now I realize I was writing for others, so that they'd applaud me, see my genius, tell me how wonderful I am, or be jealous of my success.”

Writing Self Realizing Novel Wonderful Genius Decades Jealous Self Absorbed Being Jealous

Author:Louise Penny

“A good novel is a good novel, pointe finale. And I think what I'm writing is exactly that.”

Thinking Writing Novel Finale Pointe

Author:Louise Penny

“I had to learn compassion. Had to learn what it felt like to hate, and to forgive and to love and be loved. And to lose people close to me. Had to feel deep loneliness and sorrow. And then I could write.”

People Feels Writing Hate Felt Loses Compassion Loneliness Sorrow Forgiving

Author:Louise Penny

“I haven't always been a writer and I suppose I tiptoed around the idea of writing full time, because it's so isolating.”

Writing Ideas Havens

Author:Marisha Pessl

“I believe writers need to be chameleons, or like Meryl Streep, who can play all sorts of characters. A good writer should be able to cross gender lines and people of all social classes. So for me, writing from a male point of view would be a great challenge, that I would look forward to taking on.”

People Needs Should Writing Believe Looks Play Character Would Be Able I Believe Social Challenges Lines Views Class Crosses Males Gender Point Of View Good Writers Social Class Chameleon

Author:Marisha Pessl

“Occasionally when I'm procrastinating writing, I'll while away the hours on iTunes. You can just keep going forever and find these bands you'd never normally hear of.”

Writing Hours Forever Band Keep Going Procrastinating Itunes

Author:Marisha Pessl

“When I'm creating characters, I definitely think of theme songs. Writing for me is very visual, so I sometimes think of it in terms of a movie with a soundtrack, and try to transfer that to words.”

Thinking Writing Trying Sometimes Character Song Term Creating Theme Visuals Transfers Soundtracks Creating Characters

Author:Marisha Pessl

“Part of the main plan of imperialism... is that we will give you your history, we will write it for you, we will re-order the past...What's more truly frightening is the defacement, the mutilation, and ultimately the eradication of history in order to create... an order that is favorable to the United States.”

Giving Writing States Past Order United United States Plans Tyranny Tyrants Frightening Imperialism Mutilation

Author:Edward Said

“Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.”

“Write what you know. Write what you want to know more about. Write what you're afraid to write about.”

Knows Want Writing Inspiration What You Want

Author:Cecil Murphey

“Sometimes I think my writing sounds like I walked out of the room and left the typewriter running.”

Thinking Writing Sometimes Running Romance Left Sound Rooms Typewriters

Author:Gene Fowler

“If you can describe clearly without a diagram the proper way of making this or that knot, then you are a master of the English language.”

Ifs Way Writing Language Masters English Language Knots Diagrams

Book:On

Source: On

“All stories interest me, and some haunt me until I end up writing them.”

Writing Ends Stories Interest Social Issues

Author:Isabel Allende

“The will to originality is not the will to be peculiar and unlike anybody else; it means the desire to derive one's consciousness from its primary source.”

Writing Mean Desire Consciousness Source Primaries Peculiar Originality Primary Source

Author:Nikolai Berdyaev

“Write a nonfiction book, and be prepared for the legion of readers who are going to doubt your fact. But write a novel, and get ready for the world to assume every word is true.”

World Writing Book Facts Novel Doubt Ready Reader Assuming Prepared Nonfiction Be Prepared Legion

Book:High Tide in Tucson

Source: High Tide in Tucson

“My counsel is, to force nothing, and rather to trifle and sleep away all unproductive days and hours, than on such days to compose something that will afterwards give no pleasure.”

Giving Writing Force Hours Sleep Pleasure Trifles Unproductive

Author:Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“The biographies of great artists make it abundantly clear that the creative urge is often so imperious that it battens on their humanity and yokes everything to the service of the work, even at the cost of health and ordinary human happiness. The unborn work in the psyche of the artist is a force of nature that achieves its end either with tyrannical might or with the subtle cunning of nature herself, quite regardless of the personal fate of the man who is its vehicle.”

“The only way to do it is to do it: by writing, writing, writing.”

Way Writing

Author:Barbara Mertz

“Well, first you have to love writing. A lot of authors love having written. But I enjoy the actual writing. Beside that, I think the main reason I can be so prolific is the huge amount of planning I do before I start to write. I do a very complete, chapter-by-chapter outline of every book I write. When I sit down to write, I already know everything that's going to happen in the book. This means I've done all the important thinking, and I can relax and enjoy the writing. I could never write so many books if I didn't outline them first.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Writing Firsts Wells Mean I Can Important Book Reason Done Happens Enjoy Written Huge Amount Planning Relax Chapters Outlines

Author:R. L. Stine

“Don't ever quit. Never quit. Never show anybody you're hurt. Grin and walk through the cannon smoke. It will drive them up the wall. You always stay true to your own principles. You always believe in your gift. God doesn't make mistakes when he presents someone with a gift like that. It's there for a reason. Tell the naysayers, those who reject you, to drop dead! Who cares?”

“Writers think in metaphors. Editors work in metaphors. A great reader reads in metaphors.”

Thinking Writing Reader Metaphor Editors

Author:Steven Pressfield

“The story is the only thing that's important. Everything else will take care of itself. It's like what bowlers say. You hear writers talk about character or theme or mood or mode or tense or person. But bowlers say, if you make the spares, the strikes will take care of themselves. If you can tell a story, everything else becomes possible. But without story, nothing is possible, because nobody wants to hear about your sensitive characters if there's nothing happening in the story. And the same is true with mood. Story is the only thing that's important.”

Ifs Want Writing Persons Important Character Stories Care Happenings Take Care Strikes Mood Things Happen Sensitive Theme Spares Tense Bowlers

Author:Stephen King

“Smoking cigarettes and writing something nasty on the wall, teacher sends you to the Principal's office down the hall.”

Writing Education Teacher Wall Office Smoking Halls Cigarette Principal Nasty Smoking Cigarettes

Author:Stevie Wonder

“You can't. Do you hear me? You think you've figured something out? You run over here so pleased with yourself because you changed your mind. Now you're certain. You're so... sloppy. You don't know anything. The book, the math, the dates, the writing, all that stuff you decided with your buddies, it's just evidence. It doesn't finish the job. It doesn't prove anything.”

Thinking Knows Writing Mind Book Running Jobs Certain Stuff Changed Prove Evidence Decided Logic Math Certainty Uncertainty Reasoning Buddy Ontology Sloppy You Changed

Author:David Auburn

“I believe the term "blog" means more than an online journal. I believe a blog is a conversation. People go to blogs to read AND write, not just consume.”

People Writing Believe Mean Funny I Believe Term Conversation Thoughtful Online Journal Blogs Blogging

Author:Michael Arrington

“When I started writing this blog more than years ago, it was in response to traditional media's habit of twisting interviews to fit the headlines they wanted to create.”

Writing Years Wanted Funny Media Habit Fit Years Ago Response Traditional Interviews Thoughtful Blogs Headlines Blogging

Author:Mark Cuban

“I have just finished my sketch of my species theory. If as I believe that my theory is true & if it be accepted even by one competent judge, it will be a considerable step in science. I therefore write this, in case of my sudden death, as my most solemn & last request, which I am sure you will consider the same as if legally entered in my will, that you will devote 400£ to its publication & further will yourself, or through Hensleigh [Wedgwood], take trouble in promoting it.”

Source: On Evolution: The Development of the Theory of Natural Selection

“To present a scientific subject in an attractive and stimulating manner is an artistic task, similar to that of a novelist or even a dramatic writer. The same holds for writing textbooks.”

Writing Book Science Subjects Tasks Artistic Novelists Attractive Dramatic Textbooks

Author:Max Born

“But the real life of a writer resides in showing up at the keyboard every day, with the necessary patience and mercy, and making the best decisions you can on behalf of your people. It’s a slow process. It often feels hopeless, more like an affliction than an art form. Most of us will have to find our readers one by one, in other words, and against considerable resistance. If anything qualifies us as heroic, it’s that private perpetual struggle. Put down the magazine, soldier. Forget about the other guy. Remember who you are.”

“It is as easy to dream a book as it is hard to write one.”

Writing Book Hard Dream Easy

Author:Honore de Balzac

“Revision plays a very large role in writing. Sometimes it seems to be all revision. And the longer I write, the more I revise-until it is completely right.”

Writing Sometimes Play Seems Roles Revision

Author:Ellen Hunnicutt

“The first draft is just a skeleton-just bare bones. It's like the very first rehearsal of a play, where the director moves the actors around mechanically to get a feel of the action.”

Feels Writing Firsts Play Action Moving Actors Directors Bones Rehearsal Skeletons

Author:Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

“A plot without action is like pasta without garlic, like Dolly Parton without cleavage, and like a writer without his similes.”

Writing Action Plot Simile Pasta Garlic Cleavage

Author:Dean Koontz

“There are times when quantity is at least as important as quality in learning an art.”

Writing Art Important Quality Quantity

Author:Lawrence Watt-Evans

“I can't start writing until I have a closing line.”

Writing I Can Lines Closing

Book:Conversations with Joseph Heller

Source: Conversations with Joseph Heller

“Always compare yourself to the best. Even if you never measure up, it can't help but make you better.”

Ifs Writing Helping Compare

Author:Tom Robbins

“Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean you have to write for the Academy. Be true to your personality. Don't temper your personality down with words. Don't build defensive fortresses around yourself with words - words are your friends.”

Writing Firsts Mean Problem Bigs Young Advice Personality Being True Temper Academy Pretentious Big Problems Fortresses Young Writers

Author:Gary Shteyngart

“Anyone can express himself or herself, but what writers and poets want to do in their work, more than simply express themselves, is communicate.”

Want Writing Poet Communicate Writers And Poets

Book:Call If You Need Me: The Uncollected Fiction and Other Prose

Source: Call If You Need Me: The Uncollected Fiction and Other Prose

“I know when a story is finished when there is not a single thing more I can think to do to it. And since I know at the start what the last line will be, I know when I've reached that point as logically as I can that it's finished. As for the rewriting-it's not foolproof, of course, but if you're honest about having thought of every possibility and you still come back to what you have, what more can you do?”

Ifs Thinking Knows Writing Stills I Can Stories Lasts Courses Lines Honest Possibility Finished Rewriting Foolproof

Author:Amy Hempel

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