What words will express it? ~ George Orwell
Decide when in the day (or night) it best suits you to write, and organize your life accordingly. ~ Andrew Motion
“The only thing worth writing about is people. People. Human beings. Men and women whose individuality must be created, line by line, insight by insight. If you do not do it, the story is a failure. ~ Harlan Ellison
Read everything you write out loud for rhythm and sound: “Good writers of prose must be part poet, always listening to what they write.” ~ William Zinsser
Yes, the thesaurus is your friend: “The Thesaurus is to the writer what a rhyming dictionary is to the songwriter–a reminder of all the choices–and you should use it with gratitude. If, having found the scalawag and the scapegrace, you want to know how they differ, then go to the dictionary.” ~ William Zinsser
“Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” ~ Stephen King
Exercising is a good analogy for writing. If you’re not used to exercising you want to avoid it forever. If you’re used to it, it feels uncomfortable and strange not to. No matter where you are in your writing career, the same is true for writing. Even fifteen minutes a day will keep you in the habit. ~ Jennifer Egan
Read at the level at which you want to write. Reading is the nourishment that feeds the kind of writing you want to do. ~ Jennifer Egan on Reading & Writing
When I’m writing fiction I forget who I am and what I come from. I slip into utter absorption mode. I love the sense that I’ve become so engaged with the other side, I’ve slightly lost my bearings here. ~ Jennifer Egan on Being Absorbed in Writing
“He asked, “What makes a man a writer?” “Well,” I said, “it’s simple. You either get it down on paper, or jump off a bridge.”
― Charles Bukowski
