Book Quote by G. M. Trevelyan
“What is easy to read has been difficult to write. The labour of writing and rewriting, correcting and recorrecting, is the due exacted by every good book from its author, even if he knows from the beginning exactly what he wants to say. A limpid style is invariably the result of hard labour, and the easily flowing connection of sentence with sentence and paragraph with paragraph has always been won by the sweat of the brow.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Art of Writing, G. M. Trevelyan, 1915
Good writing demands extensive revision; clarity emerges from painstaking effort, not ease.
In simple terms: Clear prose requires hard work.
Key Takeaway
Embrace revision for clarity.
Themes
writing
revision
clarity
effort
craftsmanship
Mood
determined
reflective
Type
advice
inspirational
When to use this quote
- authoring a novel
- academic paper
- blog post
- technical manual
- creative screenplay
Key Concepts
process
discipline
quality
perseverance
Questions to Reflect On
- How does revision change your voice?
- What steps ensure your prose flows smoothly?
A Different Perspective
If you rush, the text may lack depth and coherence.
![“The only thing I might have noticed [and this is pretty anecdotal] is that there is some tendency to need to be taught that 'writing is rewriting' - maybe more of a sense than was pervasive 10 years ago that the first or second pass of a story is sufficient. That is an idea that is easily…” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/249/george-saunders-317_blogging_the-only-thing-i-might-have-noticed-and_2019915.jpg)
![“[Writing is] largely a matter of application and hard work, or writing and rewriting endlessly until you are satisfied that you have said what you want to say as clearly and simply as possible. For me that usually means many, many revisions.” quote by Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/99e/rachel-carson-2645_application_writing-is-largely-a-matter-of-applicati_1416364.jpg)
