Amateurs try to write in one go; professionals draft and…

Amateurs try until they succeed. Professionals try until they can't fail.

— Anonymous

The first draft is usually junk. You have to work on it seven to eight times.

— Ravi Subramanian

There are some writers who are done when they finish a draft because they've thought it through beforehand. Whereas I'll finish a first draft…

— Heidi Julavits

I love mixing amateurs and professionals.

— Lasse Hallstrom

“They were chosen for their perfect ignorance of these things. That is how the system works. In the end, the lawyers and judges happily…

— William Landay

We're all amateurs when it comes to love. Don't be too hard on each other.

— Bob Goff

Conor is not emulating me. He has to be his own man and learn his trade from the start. He will fight in the…

— Nigel Benn

You know, criticism began as the province of amateurs, of wealthy men who liked the arts.

— Robert Christgau

There's a myth among amateurs, optimists and fools that beyond a certain level of achievement, famous artists retire to some kind of Elysium where…

— Mark Matousek

Inner beauty is for amateurs.

— Anne Taintor

Dealing with Jazz at Lincoln Center and its board of directors, who are so great, and then seeing how these Rock Hall guys operate,…

— Steve Miller

A lot of amateurs are terrified of going up against a player who is clearly better than they are. They never play their best,…

— Fuzzy Zoeller

Most amateurs are so worried about mis-hitting the shot or hitting it off line, they don't make an aggressive move. You'd be surprised how…

— Keegan Bradley

Even virtue is an art; and even its devotees are divided into those who practise it and those who are merely amateurs.

— Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

Amateurs look for challenges; professionals look for easy trades. Losers get high from the action; the pros look for the best odds.

— Alexander Elder