What a writer's obituary should read - he wrote the books, then he died. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
If I had not existed, someone else would have written me, Hemingway, Dostoevski, all of us. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
A writer must teach himself that the basest of all things is to be afraid. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
“I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately I am inspired at 9 o'clock every morning.” — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
My ideal job? Landlord of a bordello! The company's good and the mornings are quiet, which is the best time to write. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
That's a very good way to learn the craft of writing - from reading. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
The work never matches the dream of perfection the artist has to start with. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
A writer is congenitally unable to tell the truth and that is why we call what he writes fiction. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
With me, a story usually begins with a single idea or mental picture. The writing of the story is simply a matter… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
A writer needs three things, experience, observation, and imagination, any two of which, at times any one of which, can supply the… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
Nothing can destroy the good writer. The only thing that can alter the good writer is death. Good ones don't have time… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
I discovered that my own little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about and that I would never live long… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself which alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
“Everything goes by the board: honor, pride, decency . . . to get the book written. If a writer has to rob… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
I'm a failed poet. Maybe every novelist wants to write poetry first, finds he can't and then tries the short story which… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
I don't think anybody can teach anybody anything. I think that you learn it, but the young writer that is as I… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
The poet's, the writer's, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
Let the writer take up surgery or bricklaying if he is interested in technique. There is no mechanical way to get the… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
'I never feel the need to discuss my work with anyone. No, I am too busy writing it. It has got to… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
Really the writer doesn't want success. . . . He knows he has a short span of life, that the day will… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
I imagine as long as people will continue to read novels, people will continue to write them, or vice versa; unless of… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
I had learned a little about writing from Soldier's Pay - how to approach language, words: not with seriousness so much as… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
All of us have failed to match our dream of perfection. I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
“And George Farr had the town, the earth, the world to himself and his sorrow. Music came faint as a troubling rumor… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
“No one is without Christianity, if we agree on what we mean by the word. It is every individual's individual code of… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
Writing a first draft is like trying to build a house in a strong wind. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
The artists who want to be writers, read the reviews; the artists who want to write, don't. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but that's the only way you can do anything really good. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
The writer doesn't need economic freedom. All he needs is a pencil and some paper. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
Everyone in the South has no time for reading because they are all too busy writing. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
A writer is trying to create believable people in credible moving situations in the most moving way he can. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
The writer has three sources: imagination, observation, and experience — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
A writer strives to express a universal truth in the way that rings the most bells in the shortest amount of time. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything good. — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
The only rule I have is to quit while it’s still hot. Never write yourself out. Always quit when it’s going good.… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
The only environment the artist needs is whatever peace, whatever solitude, and whatever pleasure he can get at not too high a… — William Faulkner Copy Share Image
“The river itself is not a hundred yards across, and pa and Vernon and Vardaman and Dewey Dell are the only things in sight… — William Faulkner Copy Share
The quality an artist must have is objectivity in judging his work, plus the honesty and courage not to kid himself about it. — William Faulkner Copy Share
“Luster returned, wearing a stiff new straw hat with a colored band and carrying a cloth cap. The hat seemed to isolate Luster's skull,… — William Faulkner Copy Share
It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged… — William Faulkner Copy Share
“What matters is at the end of life, when you're about to pass into oblivion, that you've at least scratched 'Kilroy was here,' on… — William Faulkner Copy Share
I've got to feel the pencil and see the words at the end of the pencil, — William Faulkner Copy Share
And sure enough, even waiting will end...if you can just wait long enough. — William Faulkner Copy Share
“I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice,… — William Faulkner Copy Share
Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the… — William Faulkner Copy Share
To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi. — William Faulkner Copy Share
“What modren ideas?” pap said. “I didn’t know there was but one idea about work—until it is done, it ain’t done, and when it… — William Faulkner Copy Share
“It was only as he put his hand on the door that he became aware of complete silence beyond it, a silence which he… — William Faulkner Copy Share
“She has no mother because fatherblood hates with love and pride, but motherblood with hate loves and cohabits.” — William Faulkner Copy Share
“Byron listened quietly, thinking to himself how people everywhere are about the same, but that it did seem that in a small town, where… — William Faulkner Copy Share
“It was too late. Maybe yesterday, while I was still a child, but not now. I knew too much, had seen too much, I… — William Faulkner Copy Share
