When I started writing, about the time Conestoga wagons rolled across the mountains, I found the following bits of advice inspiring, useful, and witty.
Robert Heinlein Said
Robert Heinlein Said
You must write. You must finish what you write. You must refrain from rewriting except to editorial order. You must put it on the market until sold.
Joan: This was true in 1949 when he said it, but it wasn't true for the latter part of the 20th century when many a good book wasn't accepted by the "gate keepers." But now, it's true again because of the creation of the ebook and the Kindle which really propelled self-publishing into the mainstream.
Elmore Leonard Said
Elmore Leonard Said
I try to leave out the parts that people skip.
Raymond Chandler Said
When in doubt, have two guys come through the door with guns.
Raymond Chandler Said
When in doubt, have two guys come through the door with guns.
Joan: I'm going to try this with my next romantic comedy. *G*
Mark Twain Said
The difference between using the right word and the one that is almost right is like the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.
Joan: Absolutely still true, and I hope it remains true forever.
Ernest Hemingway Said
Never mistake emotion for action.
Stephen King Said
Never look at a reference book while doing a first draft.
Ernest Hemingway Said
Never mistake emotion for action.
Stephen King Said
Never look at a reference book while doing a first draft.
Joan: Oh, my yes. Research and fact checking are great ways to bog yourself down.
William Faulkner Said
William Faulkner Said
Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out the window.
Joan: In today's world, recycle that paper by printing on the reverse side and/or shredding it and tossing it into a recycle bin.
Larry Brown Said
There’s no such thing as a born writer. It’s a skill you’ve got to learn, just like learning how to be a bricklayer or a carpenter. You’ve got to write X number of words before you can write anything that can be published, but nobody is able to tell you how many words that is. You will know when you get there, but you don’t know how long it will take.
If you like quotations about writers, writing, books, and the literary life, you'd probably enjoy Stephanie Gunning's The Writer's Book of Inspiration. It's available on Amazon in Kindle and print.
(I've collected so many quotations over the years about books, reading, authors, publishing, and the writing life that I should publish my own book of quotations.)
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
Go forth and write.
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
Go forth and write.
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