Quotes for Writers

We’re mixing things up on the FF&P Blog today and bringing you ten quotes to help with writing and motivation.

1. "Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." - E.L. Doctorow

2. “Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It's the one and only thing you have to offer.” - Barbara Kingsolver

3. "I try to leave out the parts that people skip." - Elmore Leonard

4. “I have never known an artist, painter, musician or writer who is satisfied with their own work so don't let self-criticism stand in your way.” - Byron Pulsifer

5. “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” - Mark Twain

6. "One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it." - Sidney Howard

7. “Self-trust is the first secret of success.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

And for our final three quotes, guest motivator (and FF&P Membership Chairperson) K.A. Krantz shares some of her favorites.

8. For the frustration of writing queries: "I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had the time to make it shorter." - Blaise Pascal

9. To endure the upheaval of the submission process: "I could not tread these perilous paths in safety, if I did not keep a saving sense of humor." - Admiral Horatio Nelson

10. And for how to get through the perils of writing amid distractions: "Be regular and orderly in your life, that you may be violent and original in your work." - Clive Barker