A Few Quotes on Writing to Keep You Encouraged and Inspired
November 16th 2009 01:28
For the past few weeks, I've been battling a bad case of bronchitis, which is part of the reason I haven't updated lately. So, partly to remedy my recent lack of content and partly to indulge my own desire to blog again, I've decided to present a list of wonderful quotes on writing. The following 20 quotes should give you plenty to think about where your writing is concerned and will hopefully motivate, encourage, and inspire you to keep on keeping on!
The Quotes
"The chief glory of every people arises from its writers." ~Samuel Johnson~
"The good writer seems to be writing about himself, but has his eye always on that thread of the Universe which runs through himself and all things." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson~
"It is by sitting down to write every morning that one becomes a writer." ~Gerald Brenan~
"The best antidote to writer's block is ... to write." ~Henriette Anne Klauser~
"One writes out of one thing only--one's own experience. Everything depends on how relentlessly one forces from the experience the last drop, sweet or bitter, it can possibly give." ~James Baldwin~
“Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.” ~John Jakes~
“Writing eases my suffering ... writing is my way of reaffirming my own existence.” ~Gao Xingjian~
"One writes to make a home for oneself, on paper, in time and in others' minds.” ~Alfred Kazin~
“I must write it all out, at any cost. Writing is thinking. It is more than living, for it is being conscious of living.” ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh~
"A classic is classic not because it conforms to certain structural rules, or fits certain definitions (of which its author had quite probably never heard). It is classic because of a certain eternal and irrepressible freshness." ~Edith Wharton~
"The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think." ~Edwin Schlossberg~
"A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus: 1. What am I trying to say? 2. What words will express it? 3. What image or idiom will make it clearer? 4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?" ~George Orwell~
"Keep writing. Keep doing it and doing it. Even in the moments when it's so hurtful to think about writing." ~Heather Armstrong~
"You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you're working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success - but only if you persist." ~Isaac Asimov~
"The first step in blogging is not writing them but reading them." ~Jeff Jarvis~
"The way you define yourself as a writer is that you write every time you have a free minute. If you didn't behave that way you would never do anything." ~John Irving~
"A writer is a writer not because she writes well and easily, because she has amazing talent, because everything she does is golden. In my view, a writer is a writer because even when there is no hope, even when nothing you do shows any sign of promise, you keep writing anyway." ~Junot Diaz~
"Inspiration is wonderful when it happens, but the writer must develop an approach for the rest of the time ... The wait is simply too long." ~Leonard Bernstein~
"Learn as much by writing as by reading." ~Lord Acton~
"There's always something to write about. If there's not then you need to live life more aggressively." ~Min Kim~
So, get out and live--and then sit down and write!
To your success!
Jeanne
Sources:
Love Quotes and Quotations
ThinkExist.com
The Quotations Page
Do you enjoy reading quotes on writing? How do they help motivate and inspire you? Which of the above quotes are your favorites?
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Comment by Lilliie Ammann
It's good to see some activity on your blog. Hope you get over that nasty bronchitis soon.
The quotes are great, too.
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
This illness has been quite stubborn, but I'm doing my best to overcome it!
Thanks for stopping by to read these great quotes and encourage me with a comment!
Jeanne
Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
Comment by Karen Swim
That pretty much sums up my business and personal writing!
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
Glad you enjoyed them. I really love reading quotes--especially inspirational ones!
Thanks for the welcome back!
Jeanne
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
Thanks for your prayers and good wishes! This is a pretty stubborn case, but I'm doing everything I can to get out from under it.
Those two quotes say so much! They are a true testament to the perseverance necessary for any writer who hopes to see a positive return for his/her work. Great choices!
Thanks for the visit!
Jeanne
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
Ouch! Bronchitis is what I had all last November...
Some great quotes here. I particularly like the Asimov quote.
Hope you get better soon.
~Dianna
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
Bronchitis is certainly no fun, is it? And, for such an unwelcome "guest," it certainly does seem to hang around long enough! Can't wait to be rid of it! (Remind me not to "invite" it back again next year!)
I love quotes about writing--and other topics as well. The Asimov quote is a great one. How easy it is for us to give up when we don't meet with instant acceptance, which is only natural. But, I think we need to keep our goals and dreams firmly in mind, refuse to give up, and stubbornly pursue the prize. It's the only way to gain any measure of success.
Thanks for sharing!
Jeanne
Comment by Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes
Thanks for stopping by. In my research, I've come across numerous quotation sites. Like you, I always enjoy a good quote. Quotations can add impact to our writing.
If you'll look near the top of my left sidebar, you'll see the Quote of the Day feature I've posted there. Click "more Famous Quotes" and the link will take you to one great quotation site.
My Motivational Quotes for Writers and Other Creative People post also includes a link to another good quotation site.
If you're interested in other quotes and quotation sites, simply type "Quote" into the search field at the top of my left sidebar, and you'll find all my quotation posts. You'll find some great quotations there and a few more quotation website links, as well.
Thanks for the visit!
Jeanne