Over the last 2 years I have made over 3,000 literary quote memes, including the one featured above. This means that I have spent many hours seeking quotes out, reading them, and re-reading them. I now like to think that I can spot a fake quote a mile away, although this is not always the case. Having spent so much time with quotes about writing I have developed a number of favorite quotes, ones that I always return to when stuck in my own writing or when advising students.
Below I have included a number of my favorite quotes, the ones that I think provide significant insight into writing itself, or into being a writer.
“Writing is like getting married. One should never commit oneself until one is amazed at one’s luck.”
– Iris Murdoch
“Writing is something you do alone. It is a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don’t want to make eye contact while doing it.”
– John Green
“Becoming a writer is not a ‘career decision’ like becoming a doctor or a policeman. You don’t choose it so much as get chosen, and once you accept the fact that you’re not fit for anything else, you have to be prepared to walk a long, hard road for the rest of your days.”
– Paul Auster
“Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.”
– Ray Bradbury
“Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”
― E.L. Doctorow
“If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.”
– Margret Atwood
“Write because you love it. Write because not writing for more than a few days feels like you have abandoned a puppy in a mineshaft. Save the puppy.”
– Joe Beernink
“Writing is a job, a talent, but it’s also the place to go in your head. It is the imaginary friend you drink your tea with in the afternoon.”
― Ann Patchett
“And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”
– J.K. Rowling
