Here are Mine: If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it. -Toni Morrison Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression. - Isaac Bashevis Singer The most beautiful things are those that madness prompts and reason writes. - Andre Gide
Hi, "Don't do it!" Me! But there's also: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Ernest Hemingway “Fiction is the truth inside the lie.” Stephen King “If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster.” Isaac Asimov Cheers, Greg.
It would have to be the quote in my signature. It's from a song called World is yours. Translation of the full verse: "This transparent road is taking on colour Vivid, limitless, and marvelous You hold a pen in your hand [and with it] Start writing about a tomorrow that no one else can." - original lyrics both written & performed by Tomohisa Yamashita.
"I think the crucial thing in the writing career is to find what you want to do...What somebody else does is of no concern whatever, except as an interesting variation." - James A. Michener. "I was a Navy officer writing about Navy problems and I simply stole this lovely Army nurse and popped her into a Navy uniform, where she has done very well for herself." - James A. Michener on how he created Ensign Nellie Forbush in Tales of the South Pacific.
Hey, blackstar, if that's a real quote, please attribute it to the source. That's part of our rules. Of course, if the quote is yours, go ahead and use it, but please say it's yours - that way people won't report your post.
Don't have a quote, but there was a story I heard somewhere a while ago that does the job for me. Not sure if it is fictional or not but I don't think it matters. Bunch of aspiring authors go to a Q&A being done by a famous author. The author arrives late and looking like there was someplace else he would rather be. He asks the students why they came. They say they want to learn to be better writers. He tells them to go home and write. Then, without further comment, leaves. I guess that one sticks with me because I'm prone to reasearching things to death but makeing very little auctual progress. Think about that story whenever I spend more than a few minuets lurking around these forums. Keeps me from spending to much time reading about how to write better as opposed to writing to learn to write better. Now if only I had something like that for anxiety while writing I would be set.
If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business, because we’d be cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down. —Ray Bradbury
No iron can pierce the heart with such force as a period put just at the right place. Issac Babel The non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity. Franz Kafka
" A writing is the representation of its writer's art and knowledge " " Logic is the mirror for your writing worth " " The best writing is that benefits people more " " Writing is like the glass that you give others and your thoughts is its contents " Mans
Mark Twain: "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug." And a bit sillier, one from Douglas Adams: "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by."
When my mother was 45 she was considering going to college to get a degree in art. The university was 60 miles away and my father expected dinner on the table at 6 PM. She said between preparing meals, taking care of the house, and a two hour commute it would take her 5 years to finish, and she would be 50. But then she said "But how old will I be in 5 years if I don't go to school?" Five years later she had her MA in Interior Design, cum laude, putting all of us slacker children to shame. Then she ran a very successful business for many years. She never claimed it as an original thought and it's too late to ask. I told my wife I am nearly 60 and that with me working full time and taking care of the farm it would take me 5 years to finish a story, I'd be 65. She reminded me of my mother's words when she replied, "And how old will you be in 5 years if you don't write your story?" Maybe someone else has heard a version of this and can make a citation, otherwise author is unknown. But nonetheless it motivates me. Sorry to be so wordish, John
"You have to be willing to write badly." - Monica Wood "The writer is the one who stays in the room." - Ron Carlson
I use italics for thoughts as well as when the reader gets to read what a character is writing or reading.
Makes me feel better about my crappy first draft lol This is probably my favourite and pretty much keeps me going. *goes on goodreads* “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” ― Maya Angelou
This is really @minstrel's idea, but I thought it would be a good one. We all have quotes from writers that inspire us, instruct us, guide us, warn us. Give us your best ones (attributed, please). I will start with one of my favorites. The source will not surprise friends of mine on the forum: "I'm not a very good writer; however, I am an excellent re-writer." - James A. Michener And this, a personal comment made to me by a newer writer: "Go the traditional publishing route. It's difficult, but if you're good enough, you'll succeed. Just make sure your manuscript is absolutely perfect before you begin. Not very good. Perfect." - Rachel Simon
" I don’t believe that less is more. I believe that more is more. I believe that less is less, fat fat, thin thin and enough is enough." - Stanley Elkin "Caress the detail, the divine detail" - Vladimir Nabokov
“Advice to young writers who want to get ahead without any annoying delays: don’t write about Man, write about a man.” ― E.B. White “Don’t labor over little cameo works in which every word is to be perfect. Technique holds a reader from sentence to sentence, but only content will stay in his mind.” ― Joyce Carol Oates "Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom.” – Terry Pratchett “I think the deeper you go into questions, the deeper or more interesting the questions get. And I think that’s the job of art.” —Andre Dubus III, WD
