Writing Quotes

18562 Writing quotes by 6643 unique authors

Stories are living and dynamic. Stories exist to be exchanged. They are the currency of Human Growth. — Jean Houston
I like density, not volume. I like to leave something to the imagination. The reader must fit the pieces together, with the author's discreet help. — Maureen Howard
It was unavoidable, my writing. I feel I had no choice in the matter, no more than I had about an unfortunate bone structure and… — Maureen Howard
Technical Expertise is composed of all the little and large bits of technique known to the skilled painter, musician, actor, any artist. He adds these… — L. Ron Hubbard
Every separate sector of artistic creation has its own basic rules . . . data which govern it. They are contained in the textbooks on… — L. Ron Hubbard
Women do not always have to write about women, or gay men about gay men. Indeed, something good and new might happen if they did… — Unknown Author
In books, the proportion of exceptional to commonplace people is very high; in reality, very low. — Aldous Huxley
A writer's job is to imagine everything so personally that the fiction is as vivid as memories. — John Irving
The deepest quality of a work of art will always be the quality of the mind of the producer...No good novel will ever proceed from… — Henry James
Publishers don't nurse you; they buy and sell you. — P.D. James
Where strictness of grammar does not weaken expression, it should be attended to. . . . But where, by small grammatical negligences, the energy of… — Thomas Jefferson
Artistic honesty sometimes prevents an artist from being born. — Stanislaw Jerzy Lec
The moment of recognizing your own lack of talent is a flash of genius. — Stanislaw Jerzy Lec
When I sit down at my writing desk, time seems to vanish. I think it's a wonderful way to spend one's life. — Erica Jong
You must find the right voice (or voices) for the timbre that can convince a reader to give himself up to you. — Erica Jong
One writes to make a home for oneself, on paper, in time, in others' minds. — Alfred Kazin
It helps to read the sentence aloud. — Harry Kemelman
Don't think and then write it down. Think on paper. — Harry Kemelman
The chief difference between good writing and better writing may be measured by the number of imperceptible hesitations the reader experiences as he goes along. — James J. Kilpatrick
It is crazy even to ask what creativity is. It would be just as useful to interview a caraway plant in your garden and ask:… — Unknown Author
Good writers are in the business of leaving signposts saying, Tour my world, see and feel it through my eyes; I am your guide. — Larry L. King
As with all other aspects of fiction, the key to writing good dialogue is honesty. — Stephen King
Try any goddam thing you like, no matter how boringly normal or outrageous. If it works, fine. If it doesn't, toss it. Toss it even… — Stephen King
The important question has nothing to do with whether the talk in your story is sacred or profane; the only question is how it rings… — Stephen King
It's dialogue that gives your cast their voices, and is crucial in defining their characters. — Stephen King

Who Wrote These Writing Quotes

6,643 authors contributed a total of 18,562 Writing Quotes, led by these top contributors: