Due to the overwhelming response to my last post about favorite writing quotes (Okay, there was hardly any response at all, but such is the blogging life, and this, dear reader, is where a little self-indulgent imagination comes in handy.), I thought I'd put down a few more quotes, for my sake if no one else's. Words and wisdom from renowned writers can go a long way in teaching, inspiring and even at times comforting the likes of us lesser but well-intended scribes. So, with that in mind, here are some more I found of value:
10) "The end of the story is always found in the beginning." - William Sloane
9) "And I was sardonically amused at those who referred to writing as if it were an act of supreme inspiration. Writing is fiendishly hard work." - James Michener
8) "In my own experience, nothing is harder for the developing writer than overcoming his anxiety that he is fooling himself and cheating or embarrassing his family and friends. To most people, even those who don't read much, there is something special and vaguely magical about writing, and it is not easy for them to believe that someone they know - someone quite ordinary in many respects - can really do it."
- John Gardner
7) "Words have a great, great power to move us. After everything is said and done, it's the words we're listening to on television and in movies the whole time - the cadence of words, the truth of words. Words have magical power."
- David Mamet
6) "I see but one rule: to be clear." - Stendhal
5) "Good description is a learned skill, one of the prime reasons why you cannot succeed unless you read a lot and write a lot." - Stephen King
4) "Self-doubt can be an ally. This is because it serves as an indicator of aspiration. It reflects love, love of something we dream of doing, and desire, desire to do it. If you find yourself asking yourself (and your friends), 'Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist?' chances are you are. The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death."
- Steven Pressfield
3) "People can see straight through storytelling that is false, staged or cynical. It has to come from the heart, not just the head."
- Richard Branson
2) "If a story is in you, it has to come out." - William Faulkner
1) "Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story." - Tim O'Brien
10) "The end of the story is always found in the beginning." - William Sloane
9) "And I was sardonically amused at those who referred to writing as if it were an act of supreme inspiration. Writing is fiendishly hard work." - James Michener
8) "In my own experience, nothing is harder for the developing writer than overcoming his anxiety that he is fooling himself and cheating or embarrassing his family and friends. To most people, even those who don't read much, there is something special and vaguely magical about writing, and it is not easy for them to believe that someone they know - someone quite ordinary in many respects - can really do it."
- John Gardner
7) "Words have a great, great power to move us. After everything is said and done, it's the words we're listening to on television and in movies the whole time - the cadence of words, the truth of words. Words have magical power."
- David Mamet
6) "I see but one rule: to be clear." - Stendhal
5) "Good description is a learned skill, one of the prime reasons why you cannot succeed unless you read a lot and write a lot." - Stephen King
4) "Self-doubt can be an ally. This is because it serves as an indicator of aspiration. It reflects love, love of something we dream of doing, and desire, desire to do it. If you find yourself asking yourself (and your friends), 'Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist?' chances are you are. The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death."
- Steven Pressfield
3) "People can see straight through storytelling that is false, staged or cynical. It has to come from the heart, not just the head."
- Richard Branson
2) "If a story is in you, it has to come out." - William Faulkner
1) "Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story." - Tim O'Brien
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