"There is no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting."

~   Robert Graves [x]
quotewritingrobert graves
11th Jun 2013✧14:162 notes

"This is a strange thing, but I’ve noticed it many times: a bad day’s work is a lot better than no day’s work at all.

The question authors get asked more than any other is “Where do you get your ideas from?” And we all find a way of answering which we hope isn’t arrogant or discouraging. What I usually say is “I don’t know where they come from, but I know where they come to: they come to my desk, and if I’m not there, they go away again."

~   Philip Pullman, on the need to write regularly. (via lettersandlight)
writingquotephilip pullman
29th Apr 2013✧09:57263 notes
“You want to be a writer? Keep on writing.” — Neil Gaiman, “Princess, and some thoughts on writing”
11th Apr 2013✧10:3813 notes
writingquoteneil gaiman

"[…] you better [start writing] now because you know how to write, and you have fingers, and you have this one life, and during this one life, you should put your words down, and make your voice heard, and then let others hear your voice. And the only way any of that’s going to happen is if you actually do it. People can’t read the thoughts in your head. They can only read the thoughts you put down, carefully and with great love, on the page."

~   Dave Eggers, pep talk for Nanowrimo (via lettersandlight)
quotewritingdave eggers
2nd Apr 2013✧10:327 notes

"[Editing]’s the most important part. When you write a story, there are probably some good instincts there, but you’re blinded by the feelings of the moment. When you look back on a story later, you can be more objective. A story you wrote might have made sense to you at the time you wrote it, but it has to make sense for everyone who reads it. You can see where it doesn’t make sense."

~   Cathy, The Defining Decade by Meg Jay.
quotewritingmeg jay
19th Mar 2013✧11:43

Marissa Meyer: 12 Ways to Write More

1. Write first thing in the morning.

2. Break up your writing into half-hour tasks.

3. Figure out the things you can do without a computer.

4. Find someone who will keep you accountable.

5. Set a timer.

6. Write or Die.

7. Outsource or delegate non-writing tasks.

8. Don’t multi-task.

9. Turn off or block the internet.

10. Discover regular pockets of time you overlook every day.

11. Daydream with intention.

12. Bribes.

—

Read Meyer’s explanations here.

writingmarissa meyer
14th Mar 2013✧20:461 note

"These really are the keys to writing blog posts, op-ed pieces and columns, and even testimonies to Congress: to speak fearlessly from the heart, get to the point immediately, keep the message simple and focused, and use the fewest words you can."

~   Vivek Wadhwa (via colored 3x5s)
quotewritingvivek wadhwa
6th Mar 2013✧11:43

"Be as free as you’d like, they told me. Don’t try to change the way you write. Don’t try to be ‘Vogue.’ It’s your voice we want."

~   Garance Doré, “Vogue Paris”
quotewritinggarance dore
1st Mar 2013✧14:15

"I always advise children who ask me for tips on being a writer to read as much as they possibly can. Jane Austen gave a young friend the same advice, so I’m in good company there."

~   J. K. Rowling, in an interview with Salon.Com (March 31, 1999)
quotewritingj k rowling
15th Feb 2013✧13:29

"

There will never be “enough time” to write. Write anyway.

You know when you’re going to school or working a day job or raising a family, you tend to fantasize about the life of a full-time writer? You envision long, uninterrupted days when it’s just you and your laptop and your characters?

Well, I’ve been a “full-time writer” for two years now and I still fantasize about that life! And maybe there are writers who achieve that firm separation between writing and… everything else. Writers who manage to carve out blissfully long workdays of writing. I’m not one of them. At least, not yet. Between travel, a social life, and all those promotion things mentioned above, I’ve found that I appreciate my writing time more than ever. I’m still squeezing in an hour of writing between a morning blog post and an afternoon phone interview. I’m still stealing away to the bedroom after dinner to knock out another 1,000 words after a full day of school visits.

"

~   Marissa Meyer, “One Year After Publication: Things I’ve Learned”
quotewritingmarissa meyer
12th Feb 2013✧14:34
Opaque  by  andbamnan