Good writing is essentially rewriting.

By the time I am nearing the end of a story, the first part will have been reread and altered and corrected at least…

— Roald Dahl

If you're writing something that's clearly labelled as an alternative history, of course it's perfectly legitimate to play with known historical characters and events,…

— Diana Gabaldon

A poet has to adapt himself, more or less consciously,to the demands of his vocation, and hence the peculiarities of poets and the condition…

— Stephen Spender

One of the nice things about writing is you can take essentially painful things in your life and turn them into something that might…

— Patrick deWitt

“Write at a pace that doesn't surpass your creative flow. Don't be hasty; don't be sloppy. Don't forfeit impressive writing for an impressive word…

— Richelle E. Goodrich

There is no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting.

— Robert Graves

Good writing is writing and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting. Sometimes, it happens to work right away, and that's amazing. But most of the…

— Kate Beaton

Good writing is rewriting.

— Truman Capote

There is no good writing; there is only good rewriting.

— Louis D. Brandeis

That is as true for fiction or non-fiction. The writer has to really know their subject. It is really important to remember that the…

— Michael Scott

I am suspicious of both facility and speed.

— Roald Dahl

There is no royal path to good writing; and such paths as exist do not lead through neat critical gardens, various as they are,…

— Jessamyn West

“But the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Every words that serves no function, every long word…

— William Zinsser

I don't think that writing, real writing, has much to do with affirming belief--if anything it causes rifts and gaps in belief which make…

— Brian Evenson

The book really comes to life in the rewriting.

— Philip Roth