Advice Quote by David B. Coe
“The best writing advice I ever got was "Keep moving forward, don't retreat into rewrites." The worst came from a book that said "Writing fiction is like telling lies," which just seems stupid to me.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Writing advice discussion, date unknown
Progress comes from continual forward motion, not endless revision; some advice can be misleading.
In simple terms: Keep writing, avoid over‑editing.
Key Takeaway
Write forward, edit later.
Themes
writing
productivity
creativity
discipline
advice
Mood
motivational
pragmatic
Type
advice
inspirational
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- blogging
- screenwriting
- academic papers
Key Concepts
flow
perfectionism
process
Questions to Reflect On
- What step can you take today?
- How do you balance revision with momentum?
A Different Perspective
Perfectionism can stall projects.
![“I think one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a writer is to follow your initial [writing] plan too stringently. A story needs room to grow and evolve.” quote by Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/88a/patrick-rothfuss-145_biggest-mistake_i-think-one-of-the-biggest-mistakes-you_2818358.jpg)
![“The best writing advice I had was [in] ‘Heinlein’s Rules for Writers’ by (American science fiction author) Robert A. Heinlein. His first rule is that you must write, and I was already doing that, but his second rule is, ‘You must finish what you write,’ and that had a big impact on me.” quote by George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/14d/george-r-r-martin-2-926_advice_the-best-writing-advice-i-had-was-in-hei_51395.jpg)
