I’m a fan of inspirational quotes. Long or short, these nuggets of wisdom help me remember that just beyond the darkness there’s usually a bright and sometimes unexpected ray of light.
I’m also a fan of posting quotes where I can see them. Not so much like on Being Mary Jane, but in strategic places I visit every day: my office wall, laptop and journal.
Some of my favourite writing tips are quotes from trusted sources—authors who have been in the trenches and experienced firsthand the isolation and loneliness of producing a book. They’re especially effective at motivating the hopeful or published author to keep pushing over the hump, whether they’re stuck in the planning, organizing or writing phase.
Here are fifteen of my favourite writing tips.
1. “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.” – Malcolm Gladwell
Want to be an author? It’s simple. Write every single day because that’s what serious writers do.
2. “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” – Jack London
Hoping for inspiration is like waiting on someone else to do the dishes. If you want to write, you have to be willing to make it happen by any means necessary.
3. “If writing seems hard, it’s because it is hard. It’s one of the hardest things people do.” – William Zinsser
Some of the hardest endeavours produce the most beautiful and worthwhile results. Writing a book is one of them. So, saddle up and commit yourself for the long haul.
4. “If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.” – Dorothy Parker
To become a successful author, you’ll need more than creativity; you also need writing tools and techniques that will help turn an idea into masterful storytelling.
5. “I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide.” – Harper Lee
If you’re in the writing game, rejection is not an “if” but a “when.” Optimism is your friend, but brace yourself for the low points. Be open to constructive criticism. Have a willingness to re-write and re-submit your manuscript and try again multiple times.
6. “To me, the greatest invention of my lifetime is the laptop computer and the fact that I can be working on a book and be in an airport lounge, in a hotel room, and continue working; I fire up my laptop, and I’m in exactly the same place I was when I left home – that, to me, is a miracle.” – Bill Bryson
Present-day tools are constantly testing the limits of how we work, making it easier than ever to create on-the-go. So, the only thing that’s stopping you is you.
7. “Work on a computer that is disconnected from the internet.” – Zadie Smith
What’s better than portable technology that allows you to write anywhere? Archaic technology designed for one purpose. The internet is wonderful but so is your imagination. Unplug and write.
8. “I write to understand as much as to be understood.” – Elie Wiesel
If writer’s block rears its ugly head often, it could be that you haven’t made way to clear your head so you can write. Morning pages are a great way to relieve anxiety and boost productivity. If you spill your guts and get rid of whatever has filled up your subconscious you’ll make room for your words to flow straight into your work.
9. “Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.” – Elmore Leonard
Let your words—not their punctuation—do the talking.
10. “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time — or the tools — to write. Simple as that.” – Stephen King
If you want to write well, make time to read; it’s part of every serious writer’s continuing education.
11. “Write drunk, edit sober.” – Ernest Hemingway
Let all the crazy creative and ungrammatically correct juices flow. You’re not a professor or a language teacher. You’re a writer with a story to tell, so tell your story and worry about cleaning it up later.
12. “Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout with some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.” – George Orwell
The mere thought of holding your finished book should eat at your conscience. If it doesn’t, you’re wasting your time.
13. “Start telling the stories that only you can tell, because there’ll always be better writers than you and there’ll always be smarter writers than you. There will always be people who are much better at doing this or doing that — but you are the only you.” – Neil Gaiman
No matter how unqualified you feel, telling your story your way is your secret weapon.
14. “The writing life is essentially one of solitary confinement – if you can’t deal with this you needn’t apply.” – Will Self
When you sign up for writing every day you must understand one thing: you won’t have an audience until your book is published. So, you might as well get used to working in isolation.
15. “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” – Truman Capote
Don’t fool yourself. You will likely have to submit your manuscript to (at the very least) a dozen or so publishers before you generate any interest. When you encounter rejection, remember that it’s just a stepping stone to success. Besides, what better way to build your writing muscle than through rewrites and revisions?
Ready to write your first book but not sure where to start? Download this eBook – “8 Things You Should Know Before You Write Your Book” and start planning today.