Writing Quotes | Beyond Motive

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Writing Quotes

"We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones."

"We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones."

Stephen King, American Author

78

"The universe is made of stories, not of atoms."

"The universe is made of stories, not of atoms."

Muriel Rukeyser, American Poet

Writing, Atoms, Universe

64

"I write to discover what I think. After all, the bars aren't open that early."

"I write to discover what I think. After all, the bars aren't open that early."

Daniel J. Boorstin, American Historian

61

"Writing is not a profession but a vocation of unhappiness."

"Writing is not a profession but a vocation of unhappiness."

Georges Simenon, Belgian Writer

Writing, Profession, Unhappiness, Vocation

60

"That element of surprise is what I look for when I am writing. It is my way of judging what I am doing - which is never an easy thing to do."

"That element of surprise is what I look for when I am writing. It is my way of judging what I am doing - which is never an easy thing to do."

V. S. Naipaul, Trinidadian Novelist

58

"If you know what you are going to write when you're writing a poem, it's going to be average."

"If you know what you are going to write when you're writing a poem, it's going to be average."

Derek Walcott, Trinidadian Playwright

54

"I have an editor in my head, that's why I can't read Harry Potter, because Rowling is such a lousy writer."

"I have an editor in my head, that's why I can't read Harry Potter, because Rowling is such a lousy writer."

Colleen McCullough, Australian Author

Writing, Writer

53

"Modern American cinema seems to me superficial. The intention is to understand a certain reality, and the result is nothing but a photographing of that reality."

"Modern American cinema seems to me superficial. The intention is to understand a certain reality, and the result is nothing but a photographing of that reality."

Manuel Puig, Argentinian Author

Writing, American, Cinema, Intention, Nothing

52

"No, absolutely not, writing doesn't have to be like a jigsaw puzzle, it can be a very linear undertaking."

"No, absolutely not, writing doesn't have to be like a jigsaw puzzle, it can be a very linear undertaking."

Guillermo Cabrera Infante, Cuban Novelist

51

"I think writers rush in where everybody is very frightened to tread."

"I think writers rush in where everybody is very frightened to tread."

Guillermo Cabrera Infante, Cuban Novelist

Writing, Writers

45

"It's my own personal unconscious that ultimately creates the novel's aesthetic facade."

"It's my own personal unconscious that ultimately creates the novel's aesthetic facade."

Manuel Puig, Argentinian Author

Writing, Unconscious

45

"Some writers take to drink, others take to audiences."

"Some writers take to drink, others take to audiences."

Gore Vidal, American Novelist

Writing, Audiences, Writers

44

"Never be lucid, never state, if you would be regarded great."

"Never be lucid, never state, if you would be regarded great."

Dylan Thomas, Welsh Poet

41

"We're writing a book together. She just finished one. Did you read it? Among the Porcupines?"

"We're writing a book together. She just finished one. Did you read it? Among the Porcupines?"

Walter Matthau, American Actor

38

"My books are like water; those of the great geniuses are wine. (Fortunately) everybody drinks water."

"My books are like water; those of the great geniuses are wine. (Fortunately) everybody drinks water."

Mark Twain, American Author

Writing, Books, Drinks, Water, Wine

37

"A lawyer I once knew told me of a strange case, a suffragette who had never married. After her death, he opened her trunk and discovered 50 wedding gowns."

"A lawyer I once knew told me of a strange case, a suffragette who had never married. After her death, he opened her trunk and discovered 50 wedding gowns."

Marguerite Young, American Author

Writing, Wedding, Death

34

"When you're writing for newspapers you have all these parameters. You can't swear, you have to use short paragraphs, all that. If you stay within those parameters, you have lots of freedom because you're writing for the next day."

"When you're writing for newspapers you have all these parameters. You can't swear, you have to use short paragraphs, all that. If you stay within those parameters, you have lots of freedom because you're writing for the next day."

Chuck Klosterman, American Critic

Writing, Day, Freedom, Newspapers

34

"I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter."

"I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter."

James A. Michener, American Novelist

Writing, Writer

32

"Writing is really very easy. Tap a vein and bleed onto the page. Everything else is just technical."

"Writing is really very easy. Tap a vein and bleed onto the page. Everything else is just technical."

Derrick Jensen, American Author

32

"It's rare that I actually have a story in my head. I have events or 'what's the next move?' Like, Maggie, 'where's she going to go in this story, where's she going to end up?' Then the story has to fill in the in-between, and that comes as I'm starting it."

"It's rare that I actually have a story in my head. I have events or 'what's the next move?' Like, Maggie, 'where's she going to go in this story, where's she going to end up?' Then the story has to fill in the in-between, and that comes as I'm starting it."

Jaime Hernandez, American Artist

Writing, End, Events

30

"What an odd thing a diary is: the things you omit are more important than those you put in."

"What an odd thing a diary is: the things you omit are more important than those you put in."

Simone de Beauvoir, French Writer

Writing, Diaries, Observation, Truth, Reflection

30

"Hey, over here! Have your picture taken with a reclusive author! Today only, we'll throw in a free autograph! But wait, there's more!"

"Hey, over here! Have your picture taken with a reclusive author! Today only, we'll throw in a free autograph! But wait, there's more!"

Thomas Pynchon, American Writer

29

"Originality is nothing but judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another."

"Originality is nothing but judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another."

Voltaire, French Writer

Writing, Imitation, Nothing, Originality, Writers

29

"Well, writing was what I wanted to do, it was always what I wanted to do. I had novels to write so I wrote them."

"Well, writing was what I wanted to do, it was always what I wanted to do. I had novels to write so I wrote them."

Octavia Butler, American Writer

29

"It took man thousands of years to put words down on paper, and his lawyers still wish he wouldn't."

"It took man thousands of years to put words down on paper, and his lawyers still wish he wouldn't."

Mignon McLaughlin, American Journalist

Writing, Lawyers, Man, Words, Years

27

"I used to save all my rejection slips because I told myself, one day I'm going to autograph these and auction them. And then I lost the box."

"I used to save all my rejection slips because I told myself, one day I'm going to autograph these and auction them. And then I lost the box."

James Lee Burke, American Author

Writing, Day, Rejection

27

"That's why, when Alias came along, I knew I'd be OK if the show was on for five or six years because the writing was so good and the creative team was so strong."

"That's why, when Alias came along, I knew I'd be OK if the show was on for five or six years because the writing was so good and the creative team was so strong."

Victor Garber, Canadian Actor

26

"I've always loved writing."

"I've always loved writing."

Casper Van Dien, American Actor

25

"Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures."

"Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures."

Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Poet

Writing, Truth, Fiction, Reality

24

"The reason a writer writes a book is to forget a book and the reason a reader reads one is to remember it."

"The reason a writer writes a book is to forget a book and the reason a reader reads one is to remember it."

Thomas Wolfe, American Novelist

Writing, Forget, Reason, Writer

24

"He who would search for pearls must dive below."

"He who would search for pearls must dive below."

John Dryden, English Poet

Writing, Pearls

24

"The most boring scenes are the scenes where a character is alone."

"The most boring scenes are the scenes where a character is alone."

Chuck Palahniuk, American Novelist

Writing, Boredom, Alone, Emotion

24

"Actually, I enjoy the process of writing a big long novel."

"Actually, I enjoy the process of writing a big long novel."

Donna Tartt, American Novelist

23

"All the nice things about Suzanne are me. All the things that aren't nice, that was just the writing."

"All the nice things about Suzanne are me. All the things that aren't nice, that was just the writing."

Delta Burke, American Actress

22

"Every writer has to figure out what works best - and often has to select and discard different tools before they find the one that fits."

"Every writer has to figure out what works best - and often has to select and discard different tools before they find the one that fits."

Nora Roberts, American Author

Writing, Tools, Writer

22

"I did know that the book would end with a mind-boggling trial, but I didn't know exactly how it would turn out. I like a little suspense when I am writing, too."

"I did know that the book would end with a mind-boggling trial, but I didn't know exactly how it would turn out. I like a little suspense when I am writing, too."

James Patterson, American Author

Writing, End, Mind, Suspense

22

"The usual way - through a long series of rejections, revising my manuscripts, and kept trying again and again. Finally I was fortunate enough to find a good agent."

"The usual way - through a long series of rejections, revising my manuscripts, and kept trying again and again. Finally I was fortunate enough to find a good agent."

Danielle Steel, American Novelist

Writing, Trying

22

"I spend about eight months researching and outlining my book."

"I spend about eight months researching and outlining my book."

Jeffery Deaver, American Writer

Writing, Months

22

"I want to tell a story and shape it all the way through to the end."

"I want to tell a story and shape it all the way through to the end."

Conrad Hall, American Artist

Writing, End, Want

21

"Everyone loathes his own country and countrymen if he is any sort of artist."

"Everyone loathes his own country and countrymen if he is any sort of artist."

Lawrence Durrell, British Writer

Writing, Artist, Country

21

"What Writing Is: Telepathy, of course."

"What Writing Is: Telepathy, of course."

Stephen King, American Author

Writing, Inspirational, Power, Wisdom, Today

21

"In utter loneliness a writer tries to explain the inexplicable."

"In utter loneliness a writer tries to explain the inexplicable."

John Steinbeck, American Author

Writing, Inexplicable, Loneliness, Writer

21

"People keep asking me ...How to instantly become a better writer? It's simple: Use "power words" and see for yourself."

"People keep asking me ...How to instantly become a better writer? It's simple: Use "power words" and see for yourself."

Ziad K. Abdelnour, Lebanese Author

Writing, Improvement, Skill, Language

21

"Writing is an extreme privilege but it's also a gift. It's a gift to yourself and it's a gift of giving a story to someone."

"Writing is an extreme privilege but it's also a gift. It's a gift to yourself and it's a gift of giving a story to someone."

Amy Tan, American Novelist

Writing, Extreme, Giving, Privilege

20

"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all."

"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all."

Hypatia, Greek Philosopher

20

"My writings are the window of my soul through which you can see me, feel me, and understand me."

"My writings are the window of my soul through which you can see me, feel me, and understand me."

Debasish Mridha, American Author

Writing, Writings, Window, Soul, Understanding

20

"Even though I may not intend it when I set out to write the book, these places just emerge as major players in what I'm doing, almost as if they are insisting on it."

"Even though I may not intend it when I set out to write the book, these places just emerge as major players in what I'm doing, almost as if they are insisting on it."

David Guterson, American Author

20

"The sheer complexity of writing a play always had dazzled me. In an effort to understand it, I became a critic."

"The sheer complexity of writing a play always had dazzled me. In an effort to understand it, I became a critic."

Kenneth Tynan, English Critic

Writing, Complexity, Effort, Play

20

"The writer probably knows what he meant when he wrote a book, but he should immediately forget what he meant when he's written it."

"The writer probably knows what he meant when he wrote a book, but he should immediately forget what he meant when he's written it."

William Golding, English Novelist

Writing, Forget, Writer

20

"My only ritual is to just sit down and write, write every day."

"My only ritual is to just sit down and write, write every day."

Augusten Burroughs, American Writer

Writing, Day, Ritual

20

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