“All the great writers root their characters in true human behavior.”
~ Ben Kingsley
“I’ve written about 2,000 short stories; I’ve only published 300 and I feel I’m still learning. Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he’ll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer. ” ~ Ray Bradbury
“Rewriting is the essence of writing well – where the game is won or lost.”
~ William Zinsser
“It takes a spasm of love to write a poem.” ~ Erica Jong
First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him. ~ Ray Bradbury
“Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day.” ~ Orson Scott Card
Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.
~ Anton Chekov
Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up. ~ Jane Yolen
I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose.
~ Stephen King
Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window. ~ William Faulkner
