OK, OK, everyone calm your britches. The quote is from Shakespeare, but it didn't come from one of his plays; it came directly from his own mouth. If you want Mark Twain quotes, I found some good ones from this site: http://www.azevedosreviews.com/2013/09/08/mark-twains-20-quotes-on-writing/
I think everyone is perfectly calm, here. I'm curious how you can be so certain that the quote is Shakespeare. Just because some internet quote sites say so? Most of those sites do not strike me as having been exhaustively researched (which is why I do not rely on them). Have you seen the quote attributed to him in a biography, or a study of his work? I mentioned Twain because the style struck me as far more 19th century than 16th, but the link that @thirdwind posted mentions another 19th century novelist and appears to be spot on.
I like this from the introduction to C. J. Box's latest collection of short stories: "There's a question that always comes up at talks and book signings, which is: "Where do you get your ideas?" It's the most confounding question for a writer to answer, I think, and leads to an answer that is unsatisfactory for the person who queried. It's as if when one revealed the true (but obviously withheld) answer, the curtain would be pulled back and the secret would be out. I've always thought that the components of writing a novel are ninety-five percent craft and five percent creativity. I can respond to questions about craft just like a carpenter can talk about tools and tricks of the trade. Writing a book is like anything: One goes to work in the morning, every morning, and writes. Pages come out. Eventually, there are enough pages to make it a novel. What I can't answer well is where the five percent comes from, or how to pull it from the air. It's just there - or it isn't."
“We can allow satellites, planets, suns, universe, nay whole systems of universe, to be governed by laws, but the smallest insect, we wish to be created at once by special act.” ― Charles Darwin, Notebooks
What can you do against the lunatic who is more intelligent than yourself, who gives your arguments a fair hearing and then simply persists in his lunacy? George Orwell Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/george_orwell.html#2vV8JiSRgXeEc3Dc.99
It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous. - Peter Benchley
This site has done research regarding this quote—and it appears to be anonymous, and not attributable to Shakespeare or anybody else. It's also the kind of thing that has been said many different ways, apparently. It's a good quote, though! Just post it, and attribute it to that fantastic, but ill-paid author: Anonymous Unattributable. http://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/06/24/wit-battle/
One sign of the born writer is his gift for finding or (sometimes) inventing authentically interesting language. - JOHN GARDNER, On Becoming a Novelist
One sign of the born writer is his gift for finding or (sometimes) inventing authentically interesting language. - JOHN GARDNER, On Becoming a Novelist The good writer makes his meaning as clear as possible. - GARY PROVOST, Writer's Digest, March 1984 The purpose of language is to express, not to impress. - PATRICIA WESTHEIMER, quoted in Home Office Computing, January 1990 I've put in so many enigmas and puzzles that will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant. - JAMES JOYCE, novelist, claiming "that's the only way of insuring one's mortality" The purpose of a story . . . is not to fulfill some crazy formalistic Aristotelian rule, but to get the fucking reader to read the fucking book. - ERICA JONG, quoted in Interviews with Contemporary Novelists by Diana Cooper-Clark
Not that this is writing related, but: "The hill mouse and the house mouse -- the frantic scurrying of the house mouse." -- Marcus Aurelius
My sister sent me this one. It's from Casebook by Mona Simpson (and yes, I call myself a libertarian): "Marge called one night from the bathroom of a restaurant, asking my mom if she could walk out on her date: she'd just found out he was a libertarian. My mom told her she had to stay for the entrée but not dessert."
"I have lived some thirty years on this planet, and I have yet to hear the first syllable of valuable or even earnest advice from my seniors. " - Henry David Thoreau
Hi , there Iam a student who is facing english writing problems ; please i want to improove my english writing skills ( can you tell me what stratgie should i follow ?????? please i have a reall dream to be an english writer, but what iam suposing to do ??? I do not even know how to write a good-strond-killer ESSAY + how to write an INTRODUCTION + STRONG THESIS STATMENT + ....... HOW TO WRITE THE SUPPORTING PARAGRAPHS + HOW TO WRITE A CONCLUSION Please maybe you will respond by saying that : YOU DO NOT HELP STUDENTS IN THESE MATTERS , Please i need you help , because in my country we do not have full access to Fculty staff + we're not an anglo- country Please iam relying on your help because i have a reall dream to realize and without your help , i will not be able to do it . Thanks and thanks for giving me much time, and please accept my frienship
Hey, there If you want to be an English writer, then you must start reading. Reading novel by a good novelist will also help you. Have a look at this http://www.theunitutor.com/sample-essays These are the sample essay. Have a look at some essay and read it. You will come to know that how to write or frame your words.
“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.” —George Orwell
Maybe, this is not your tread. But I have some advice, as a newbie writer -read more - classic literature (to improve your english), greek myths (storehouse of subjects), writing blogs (you have Google for it), educational blogs (for ex http://www.essaymama.com/ has a blog with a tonne of useful info about essay types, structure etc). And write, write, write!
