Quotes on “on-writing”

People without hope not only don't write novels, but what is more to the point, they don't read them.

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.

Only a mediocre person is always at his best.

A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.

Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule.

It is impossible to discourage the real writers - they don't give a damn what you say, they're going to write.

I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in.

Throw up into your typewriter every morning. Clean up every noon.

In the deepest hour of the night, confess to yourself that you would die if you were forbidden to write. And look deep into your heart where it spreads its roots, the answer, and ask yourself, must I write?

A good book isn't written, it's rewritten.

You can fix anything but a blank page.

Books aren't written - they're rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it.

A successful book is not made of what is in it, but what is left out of it.

Don't say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream.

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

Write what should not be forgotten.

A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus: 1. What am I trying to say? 2. What words will express it? 3. What image or idiom will make it clearer? 4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?

Never put off writing until you are better at it.