Writing QuotesThere are thousands of writing quotes and novel writing spread all over the 'net. Writers being who they are, they tend to be a little verbose on their own craft. I've done some scouring of my own and picked a few writing quotes out that made me giggle, grimace and think. One element that has struck me as I've browsed through hundreds of quotes and essays has been the variety from different writers. Each person has such a unique approach to writing. Some say it's a matter of hitting the keyboard every day. Others spend their time hunting the Muse. Others plow through messy drafts and then delight in rewriting. A few aim for only one draft each time, carefully honing each word as it arrives. Take inspiration from the variety. Know that for every writer you worship saying 'This Is The Way It Is Done', a hundred others, equally talented, strongly disagree.
There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are. - - W Somerset Maugham I can't understand why a person will take a year to write a novel when he can easily buy one for a few dollars. My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter. The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid. Writing a novel is like making love, but it's also like having a tooth pulled. Pleasure and pain. Sometimes it's like making love while having a tooth pulled. If I were a writer, how I would enjoy being told the novel is dead. How liberating to work in the margins, outside a central perception. You are the ghoul of literature. Lovely. - - Don Delillo Writing a novel does not become easier with practice. I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. Why do writers write? Because it isn't there. Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must be cantankerous and objectionable in order to be bright; that ego is paramount over skill; that one can rise to a level from which one can tell the reader to go to hell. These myths, if believed, can ruin you. If you believe you can make a living as a writer, you already have enough ego. It is perfectly okay to write garbage--as long as you edit brilliantly. Next to doing things that deserve to be written, nothing gets a man more credit, or gives him more pleasure than to write things that deserve to be read. In writing a series of stories about the same characters, plan the whole series in advance in some detail, to avoid contradictions and inconsistencies. There is no method except to be very intelligent. If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn't matter a damn how you write. Fantasy doesn't have to be fantastic. American writers in particular find this much harder to grasp. You need to have your feet on the ground as much as your head in the clouds. The cute dragon that sits on your shoulder also craps all down your back, but this makes it more interesting because it gives it an added dimension. Engrave this in your brain: EVERY WRITER GETS REJECTED. You will be no different. All my best thoughts were stolen by the ancients. If you want to get rich from writing, write the sort of thing that's read by persons who move their lips when they're reading to themselves. Writing well is at one and the same time good thinking, good feeling, and good expression; it is having wit, soul, and taste, all together. Revision is one of the exquisite pleasures of writing.
Did I leave your favorite writing quote out? Sorry about that! Use the comments box below and I'll update the page as quickly as I can. Questions? Comments? I'd love to hear from you! If you're after more articles, head to the creative writing archives and get inspired.
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