Today's Writer...

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What Do Famous

Authors Have

to Say About

Writing?

It’s such a liberating thought that there is no one way to express your creativity as a writer. As fast as this feeling comes, it’s replaced by the daunting task of putting pen to paper. Everybody has a story to tell.

A story that the whole world needs to hear.

"Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone is a writer. Some are written in the books, and some are confined to hearts." -Savi Sharma

“If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.” - Albert Einstein

“THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT: YOU SIT DOWN AT THE KEYBOARD AND YOU PUT ONE WORD AFTER ANOTHER UNTIL IT’S DONE. IT’S THAT EASY, AND THAT HARD.” - NEIL GAIMAN

“IF YOU’RE USING DIALOGUE, SAY IT ALOUD AS YOU WRITE IT. ONLY THEN WILL IT HAVE THE SOUND OF SPEECH.” -JOHN STEINBECK

“IF IT SOUNDS LIKE WRITING, I REWRITE IT.” -ELMORE LEONARD

“PROTECT THE TIME AND SPACE IN WHICH YOU WRITE. KEEP EVERYBODY AWAY FROM IT, EVEN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU.” -ZADIE SMITH

“IN THE PLANNING STAGE OF A BOOK, DON’T PLAN THE ENDING. IT HAS TO BE EARNED BY ALL THAT WILL GO BEFORE IT.” -ROSE TREMAIN

“ALWAYS CARRY A NOTEBOOK. AND I MEAN ALWAYS. THE SHORT-TERM MEMORY ONLY RETAINS INFORMATION FOR THREE MINUTES; UNLESS IT IS COMMITTED TO PAPER YOU CAN LOSE AN IDEA FOR EVER.” -WILL SELF

"SIMPLICITY IS THE ULTIMATE SOPHISTICATION." –LEONARDO DA VINCI

“Writing isn’t about using words to impress. It’s about using simple words in an impressive way.”

- Sierra Bailey

“SHOW UP, SHOW UP, SHOW UP, AND AFTER A WHILE THE MUSE SHOWS UP, TOO.” - ISABEL ALLENDE

"THERE IS NOTHING TO WRITING. ALL YOU DO IS SIT DOWN AT A TYPEWRITER AND BLEED."

- ERNEST HEMINGWAY

“FORGET THE BOOKS YOU WANT TO WRITE. THINK ONLY OF THE BOOK YOU ARE WRITING.”

-HENRY MILLER

“IF YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO READ, YOU DON’T HAVE THE TIME — OR THE TOOLS — TO WRITE. SIMPLE AS THAT.” -STEPHEN KING

“DON’T TELL ME THE MOON IS SHINING; SHOW ME THE GLINT OF LIGHT ON BROKEN GLASS.”

-ANTON CHECKHOV

I want you to close your eyes. Now imagine two scenes:

1. The moon is shining.

2. A glint of light from the moon shines on the broken glass.

"NEVER USE A LONG WORD WHERE A SHORT ONE WILL DO." - GEORGE ORWELL

"A SHORT STORY MUST HAVE A SINGLE MOOD AND EVERY SENTENCE MUST BUILD TOWARDS IT."

-EDGAR ALLEN POE

"QUANTITY PRODUCES QUALITY. IF YOU ONLY WRITE A FEW THINGS, YOU'RE DOOMED." - RAY BRADBURY

“EVERY SENTENCE MUST DO ONE OF TWO THINGS -- REVEAL CHARACTER OR ADVANCE THE ACTION."

-KURT VONNEGUT

“THE HISTORIAN RECORDS, BUT THE NOVELIST CREATES.”E. M. FORSTER

“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'S GOOD, YOU'LL FIND OUT. IF IT'S NOT, THROW IT OUT OF THE WINDOW.”

-WILLIAM FAULKNER

"YOU CAN FIX ANYTHING BUT A BLANK PAGE.” -NORA ROBERTS

“YOU HAVE TO GET TO A VERY QUIET PLACE INSIDE YOURSELF. AND THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT YOU CAN’T HAVE NOISE OUTSIDE. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WHO PUT JAZZ ON, LOUDLY, TO WRITE. I THINK EACH WRITER HAS HER OR HIS SECRET PATH TO THE MUSE.” -MAYA ANGELOU

“WHEN YOU’RE STUCK, AND SURE YOU’VE WRITTEN ABSOLUTE GARBAGE, FORCE YOURSELF TO FINISH AND THEN DECIDE TO FIX OR SCRAP IT - OR YOU WILL NEVER KNOW IF YOU CAN.” -JODI PICOULT

“YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY WRITE. DAYDREAMING ABOUT THE BOOK YOU’RE GOING TO WRITE SOMEDAY ISN’T WRITING. IT’S DAYDREAMING. OPEN YOUR WORD PROCESSOR AND START WRITING.” - ANDY WEIR

“I WENT FOR YEARS NOT FINISHING ANYTHING. BECAUSE, OF COURSE, WHEN YOU FINISH SOMETHING YOU CAN BE JUDGED.”-ERICA JONG

“IGNORE ALL PROFFERED RULES AND CREATE YOUR OWN, SUITABLE FOR WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY.”

-MICHAEL MOORCOCK

GOAL: Update this page by Friday 10/9