Quotes about Writing

The invention of printing formerly enabled people to understand one another. In the era of universal graphomania, the writing of books has an opposite meaning: everyone surrounded by his own words as by a wall of mirrors, which allows no voice to filter in from the outside.

That conversation with the taxi driver suddenly made clear to me the essence of the writer's occupation. We write books because our children aren't interested in us. We address ourselves to an anonymous world because our wives plug their ears when we speak to them.

Looked at from the outside, I haven't experienced anything. Looked at from the outside! But I have a feeling that my experience inside is worth writing about and could be interesting to everybody.

I hate to write, but I love to have written.

You are going to love some of your characters because they are you or some facet of you, and you are going to hate some of your characters for the same reason.

Some authors suggest that you write down and review your goals once a month, others once a week. What I learned was the power of writing and rewriting your goals every single day.

A goal or objective that is not in writing is merely a wish or a fantasy. It has no energy behind it.

I don't want to be a writer so I can write about my life. I want to be a writer to escape from it. + Then you shouldn't be a writer.

A writer must be fearless. A writer has to be like a clawed animal. -The Carrie Diaries pg. 337

Being a writer is all about having something to say. And it'd better be interesting. If you don't have anything interesting to say, don't become a writer. Become something useful. Like a doctor.

Don't you ever get scared?" I ask. "Of what?" She says. "Of not being good enough." "You mean at writing?" L'il asks. I nod. "What if I'm the only one who thinks I can do it and no one else does? What if I'm fooling myself-" "Oh, Carrie." She smiles. "Don't you know that every writer feels that way? Fear is part of the job.

Remember the stories you used to write? About that billionaire. You made fun of his fingers! Woo-hooo. 'Short-fingered vulgarian,' you called him.