How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live!
—Henry David Thoreau, 1851
The only reason for being a professional writer is that you can't help it.
—Leo Calvin Rosten, 1972
***
Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your
hands afterwards.
—Robert A. Heinlein, 1973
Writers should be read, but neither seen nor heard.
—Daphne du Maurier, 1938
When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt.
—Henry J. Kaiser
3
Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own.
—Carol Burnett, 1981
What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.
—Samuel Johnson, 1799
No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.
—Robert Frost, 1939
Word by word the great books are made.
—French proverb
How long does it take to write a good book? All of the years that you’ve lived.
—Edward Abbey, 1990
***
In writing, fidelity to fact leads eventually to the poetry of truth.
—Edward Abbey, 1990
The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.
—Edwin Schlossberg
4
Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree.
—Ezra Pound, 1931
The very essence of literature is the war between emotion and intellect.
—Isaac Bashevis Singer, 1985
3
As quoted, without a date, in many sources, starting not later than 1968.
4
As quoted, without a date, in several generally reliable sources, starting not later than 2006.
102
On Writing, Literature, Poetry, and Journalism
—Henry David Thoreau, 1851
The only reason for being a professional writer is that you can't help it.
—Leo Calvin Rosten, 1972
***
Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your
hands afterwards.
—Robert A. Heinlein, 1973
Writers should be read, but neither seen nor heard.
—Daphne du Maurier, 1938
When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt.
—Henry J. Kaiser
3
Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own.
—Carol Burnett, 1981
What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.
—Samuel Johnson, 1799
No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.
—Robert Frost, 1939
Word by word the great books are made.
—French proverb
How long does it take to write a good book? All of the years that you’ve lived.
—Edward Abbey, 1990
***
In writing, fidelity to fact leads eventually to the poetry of truth.
—Edward Abbey, 1990
The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.
—Edwin Schlossberg
4
Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree.
—Ezra Pound, 1931
The very essence of literature is the war between emotion and intellect.
—Isaac Bashevis Singer, 1985
3
As quoted, without a date, in many sources, starting not later than 1968.
4
As quoted, without a date, in several generally reliable sources, starting not later than 2006.
102
On Writing, Literature, Poetry, and Journalism