You’ve Got The Write Stuff, Baby
Words like these require no introduction.
“Tell messy truths. Make it beautiful. Make it count.” – Justin Torres
“All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world.” – E.B. White
“I don’t believe in writer’s block. I think writer’s block is just a myth that was invented by people who either don’t want to work or people who aren’t ready to get an idea down on paper. So if I can’t write, if I’m stuck, it’s because I’m trying to figure something out. The other thing is my husband, who is a doctor, goes to work every single day, and he doesn’t get ‘doctor’s block’. He doesn’t just say, “I don’t have any idea what this patient has, and I’m just gonna go home and lie on the couch and stare at the ceiling and eat popcorn.” Which is what writers do. It’s like we have this built-in ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card going called Writer’s Block. But if you work, you just work, and sooner or later, you’ll get through it.” – Ann Patchett
“I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.” – James Michener
“Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank piece of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.” – Gene Fowler
“Easy reading is damn hard writing.” – Nathaniel Hawthorne
“I hate writing, I love having written.” – Dorothy Parker
“I try to leave out the parts that people skip.” – Elmore Leonard
“If you can’t annoy somebody, there’s little point in writing.” – Kingsley Amis
“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.” – Benjamin Franklin
“Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.” – Kurt Vonnegut
“Don’t get it right, just get it written.” – James Thurber
And of course: “Write like a motherfucker.” – Dear Sugar, a.k.a. Cheryl Strayed
