The Great Writers' Quote Thread

Discussion in 'General Writing' started by Lucas, Aug 5, 2013.

  1. stevesh

    stevesh Banned Contributor

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    "Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

    - Terry Pratchett
     
  2. Eric Byers

    Eric Byers New Member

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    "The adverb is not your friend."
    -Stephen king
     
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  3. D'hai

    D'hai Member

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    I have two I would like to share, both from the same author Stephen King:
    'If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write'
    'You can, you should, and if you're brave enough to start, you will'
     
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  4. Adenosine Triphosphate

    Adenosine Triphosphate Member Contributor

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    "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug." — Mark Twain
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2015
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  5. Ben414

    Ben414 Contributor Contributor

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    "A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people." -Thomas Mann
     
  6. Emily Johnson

    Emily Johnson Banned

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    Good topic!
    My favorite quote: "Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." - Benjamin Franklin
     
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  7. Emily Johnson

    Emily Johnson Banned

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    I love it :agreed:
     
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  8. Komposten

    Komposten Insanitary pile of rotten fruit Contributor

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    "They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance." -- Terry Pratchett
     
  9. Selbbin

    Selbbin The Moderating Cat Staff Contributor Contest Winner 2023

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    “If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.” —Dorothy Parker
     
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  10. Selbbin

    Selbbin The Moderating Cat Staff Contributor Contest Winner 2023

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    “Put down everything that comes into your head and then you’re a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff’s worth, without pity, and destroy most of it.” —Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette
     
  11. DaveOlden

    DaveOlden Member

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    And I love that this quote ...
    ... was immediately followed by this quote...
    Ah, variety is the spice isn't it?

    - Dave Olden
     
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  12. DaveOlden

    DaveOlden Member

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    Here's three from my quotes-folder:

    "Any man who will look into his heart and honestly write what he sees there, will find plenty of readers." - Edgar Watson Howe

    “Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't try to do things. You simply must do things.” — Ray Bradbury

    "Art lives on surprise. A writer has to surprise himself." - Bernard Malamud
     
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  13. DaveOlden

    DaveOlden Member

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    I’m revisiting my quotes-folder… so many great ones in here!

    (I'll stop here for now...)
     
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  14. DaveOlden

    DaveOlden Member

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    Okay, I’ve waited hours, that's long enough, I think.

    Here’s three more:

     
  15. Adenosine Triphosphate

    Adenosine Triphosphate Member Contributor

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    "The responsibility of an artist is to be honest with themselves." — Talib Kweli

    He's a (relatively egalitarian) rapper instead of a prose writer, but I really like that quote.
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2015
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  16. DaveOlden

    DaveOlden Member

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    For instance: this very sentence.

    But not, of course, this amazing quote:
    - Dave Olden ;)
     
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  17. qwertyportne

    qwertyportne Member

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    How long has it been since you wrote a story where your real love, hate, prejudice and passion slammed the page like a lightning bolt? What are the worst and best things in your life? When are you going to get around to whispering or shouting them? ~Ray Bradbury
     
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  18. DennisWillis12

    DennisWillis12 New Member

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    I was habitual of reading the quotes and blogs, there are many writer's who wrote excellent quotes which are very fine for reading.
    There are having many quotes of various writers which leave a meaningful messages.
     
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  19. Ben414

    Ben414 Contributor Contributor

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    Stephen Koch on jumping right into writing instead of waiting for the "perfect" idea:

    "Inspiration and confidence and conviction and craft and knowledge are not what makes writing possible. It's exactly the other way round. Writing makes them possible."
     
  20. DaveOlden

    DaveOlden Member

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    I read that, remember what kind of story I am writing, and wonder where I can use it.

    You know, I think we could have one of my characters -- the one with the sense of the ironic -- mount that quote just inside the airlock of his orbital habitat.

    And perhaps, underneath that a second plaque: "You just keep believing that, Capote."
     
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2015
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  21. DaveOlden

    DaveOlden Member

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    "No masterpiece is ever finished, only abandoned" - via Arthur C. Clarke

    Complicating things, are the Typo Gremlins. Mischievous little bastards, they insert errors into manuscripts only after we have thoroughly proofed and clicked <Print> or <Submit>. - Dave Olden
     
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  22. Crawl

    Crawl Member

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    "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island" - Walt Disney

    We are reading it right now :)
     
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  23. nastyjman

    nastyjman Senior Member

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    One forges one's style on the terrible anvil of daily deadlines - Emile Zola
     
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  24. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    "You can pretty much do anything if you can seduce the reader into it." - Ellen Kushner
     
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  25. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

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    “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” -- Ernest Hemingway
     
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