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

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

54

"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

50

"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

48

"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

44

"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

43

"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

42

"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

41

"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

38

"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

37

"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

37

"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

30

"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

29

"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

28

"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

27

"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

27

"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

27

"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

25

"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

24

"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

22

"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

21

"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

21

"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

21

"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

20

"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

20

"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

19

"Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures."

"Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures."

Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Poet

Writing, Truth, Fiction, Reality

18

"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

17

"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

17

"I've always loved writing."

"I've always loved writing."

Casper Van Dien, American Actor

17

"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

17

"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

16

"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

15

"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

15

"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

15

"What Writing Is: Telepathy, of course."

"What Writing Is: Telepathy, of course."

Stephen King, American Author

Writing, Inspirational, Power, Wisdom, Today

15

"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

15

"I think it takes about a million words to make a writer. I mean that you're going to throw away."

"I think it takes about a million words to make a writer. I mean that you're going to throw away."

Jerry Pournelle, American Journalist

Writing, Words, Writer

14

"Naturally we would prefer seven epiphanies a day and an earth not so apparently devoid of angels."

"Naturally we would prefer seven epiphanies a day and an earth not so apparently devoid of angels."

Jim Harrison, American Writer

Writing, Angels, Day, Earth

14

"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

14

"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

14

"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

14

"It helps to be able to be alone. 'Cuz writing is done alone, unless you collaborate, but I don't do that. Ask my ex-wife."

"It helps to be able to be alone. 'Cuz writing is done alone, unless you collaborate, but I don't do that. Ask my ex-wife."

Dirk Benedict, American Actor

14

"I've always written. There's a journal which I kept from about 9 years old. The man who gave it to me lived across the street from the store and kept it when my grandmother's papers were destroyed. I'd written some essays. I loved poetry, still do. But I really, really loved it then."

"I've always written. There's a journal which I kept from about 9 years old. The man who gave it to me lived across the street from the store and kept it when my grandmother's papers were destroyed. I'd written some essays. I loved poetry, still do. But I really, really loved it then."

Maya Angelou, American Poet

Writing, Poetry, Love, Memory

14

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

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

John Dryden, English Poet

Writing, Pearls

14

"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

14

"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

13

"If you be pungent, be brief; for it is with words as with sunbeams - the more they are condensed the deeper they burn."

"If you be pungent, be brief; for it is with words as with sunbeams - the more they are condensed the deeper they burn."

John Dryden, English Poet

13

"I have always tried to write in a simple way, using down-to-earth and not abstract words."

"I have always tried to write in a simple way, using down-to-earth and not abstract words."

Georges Simenon, Belgian Writer

13

"The first draft is just you telling yourself the story."

"The first draft is just you telling yourself the story."

Terry Pratchett, English Author

Writing, Creativity, Truth, Process

13

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