Do not be afraid to seize whatever you have written and…

Remember, it is no sign of weakness or defeat that your manuscript ends up in need of major surgery. This is a common occurrence…

— Anonymous

There [in Allied] were things that were written that were cut, and things that were shot that were cut, but if the film works,…

— Steven Knight

A thing may in itself be the finest piece of writing one has ever done, and yet have absolutely no place in the manuscript…

— Carolyn Forche

“There is no loss bigger than losing your manuscript, not even love.”

— Himanshu Chhabra

To me, all the juice of a book is in an unpublished manuscript, and the published book is like a dead tree - just…

— Christina Stead

You should be writing for the love of the story, and when it comes time to return to the manuscript, everything else belongs behind…

— Michael Koryta

Would you please publish the enclosed manuscript or return it without delay, as I have other irons in the fire.

— Elinor Glyn

And, finally, Lincoln was not a good impromptu speaker; he was at his best when he could read from a carefully prepared manuscript. Though…

— David Herbert Donald

Traditional publishers require an author to submit a manuscript six months in advance, and if pressed, no later than two or three.

— Heather Brooke

When I began writing in the mid-1960s, I thought it was not important for readers to know whether I was male or female. Also,…

— E. L. Konigsburg

I began writing 'Matterhorn' in 1975 and for more than 30 years I kept working on my novel in my spare time, unable to…

— Karl Marlantes

“Ben ducked beneath the arbor and paused by the fishpond when a memory crept upon him like a shadow. This was the spot where…

— Kate Morton

There is never finality in the display terminal's screen, but an irresponsible whimsicality, as words, sentences, and paragraphs are negated at the touch of…

— Alexander Cockburn

“[I]n the long run it's worthwhile to see the manuscript as a text capable of improvement.”

— Barbara Sjoholm

“Thanks to Karen Connelly who read earlier versions of this manuscript and to Ronald Hatch my editor and publisher.”

— Nancy Holmes