Logo - Feel The Words

Writing Quotes

The craft and habit of writing.

This set covers a filmmaker tracing an early comedic style back to college years, and advice that writing something and deciding to publish it are two separate decisions entirely. For more on the finished product, see Book.

For decades, as literary editor, I have followed the growth of our creative writing in English. In my Solidaridad Bookshop, half of my stock consists of Filipino books written in English and in the native languages.

Quotes by F. Sionil Jose

I consider criticism merely a preliminary excitement, a statement of things a writer has to clear up in his own head sometime or other, probably antecedent to writing; of no value unless it come to fruit in the created work...

Quotes by Ezra Pound

I subscribe to about 200 blogs. I look for insights and good writing, and I look to get smarter.

Quotes by Evan Williams

I'm finding writing very fascinating.

Quotes by Eve Arden

I was writing short films and I was going through this really, really, really terrible end of a relationship that I didn't want to be going through. It was too much for me to process and all of a sudden...

Quotes by Evan Glodell

Readers are what it's all about, aren't they? If not, why am I writing?

Quotes by Evan Hunter

Depending on what I'm working on, I come to the writing desk with entirely different mindsets. When I change form one to the other, it's as if another writer is on the scene.

Quotes by Evan Hunter

Changing writing styles is like an actor taking on a different part.

Quotes by Evan Hunter

Living in Beijing, writing about politically sensitive things now and then, you get used to the idea that somebody, somewhere, might be watching. But it is usually an abstract threat.

Quotes by Evan Osnos

I have been writing since I was a kid and thought what I wrote down could one day be made into a book.

Quotes by Eva Gutowski

Writing a book is so much harder than I imagined.

Quotes by Eva Gutowski

Writing a story or a novel is one way of discovering sequence in experience, of stumbling upon cause and effect in the happenings of a writer's own life.

Quotes by Eudora Welty

I also believe that writing becomes worthwhile and vitalized only through a full and exciting life.

Quotes by Esther Forbes

My writing and my paintings do not have a direct connection in my mind. But I am sure they influence each other in the measure that everything we do is linked to whatever we are, which includes whatever we have...

Quotes by Etel Adnan

I was first introduced to Kafka's writing during my compulsory army-service basic training. During that period, Kafka's fiction felt hyperrealistic.

Quotes by Etgar Keret

The reason I write is that I'm not in dialogue with my emotions; writing puts me in touch with myself.

Quotes by Etgar Keret

Writing a story is kind of like surfing, as opposed to the novel, where you use a GPS to get somewhere. With surfing, you kind of jump.

Quotes by Etgar Keret

When I started writing my stories, I thought that not only nobody outside my language, but nobody outside my neighbourhood would get them.

Quotes by Etgar Keret

I write in a slangy colloquial speech that has not been common in the Israeli tradition of writing, and that is one of the things that gets lost a little in translation.

Quotes by Etgar Keret

I no longer practice medicine, but I can say that, for me, medicine was easier - and certainly less emotionally turbulent - than writing.

Quotes by Ethan Canin

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a quote about the kind of comedy someone used to write?
Yes. One quote reflects on what material might have looked like if the speaker had started earlier, guessing it would have resembled 'Damsels in Distress' kinds of films, since that's the kind of comedy being written at the time.
Is there advice here about writing versus publishing?
Yes. One quote advises students that writing a poem and publishing it are two quite separate things, encouraging them to write what they have to write rather than holding back out of fear it might upset someone. It's solid, honest advice for anyone starting out. For more encouraging quotes, see Good quotes.
Is there a quote about avoiding repetitive songwriting?
Yes - one quote says: "I hate it when bands keep making the same record over and over, so we're pushing ourselves to try new things and experiment in our writing approach." It's a statement about wanting to keep creative work fresh. Browse Like quotes for more on personal taste.
Is there a quote about balancing songwriting with other band responsibilities?
Yes. One quote recalls that in the early years of Static-X, a pattern emerged where the speaker spent all free time writing songs for the band, while the other guys spent their free time working on other things. It's a glimpse into how creative labor can be divided unevenly within a group. For more quotes on consistent habits, see Always quotes.
What different sides of "writing" does this page cover?
Early comedic influences, honest advice about writing versus publishing, the drive to avoid repetitive songwriting, and the reality of who does the writing work within a band. For more on the reading side of writing, see Book quotes.

A band's account of pushing past repetition into new territory sits alongside a memory of writing songs alone while bandmates focused elsewhere. Continue with Good or Always.