HOW many times have you wanted to give up on reading a book because it seemed like it was simply going nowhere good? Almost to the same extent as if you were to give up on the whole idea of being creative altogether. When you feel burnt out — it is okay. Losing inspiration is also okay. However, you cannot deal with it by just ordering a text from an essay writing service, as creativity is unique. So we have gathered some iconic quotes on the writing process you may get some inspo from.
Quotes to inspire writers
1. Erich Maria Remarque, German writer 1898 – 1970
“Writing is ten percent talent and ninety percent ass.»
2. Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Japanese writer, a classic of new Japanese literature 1892 – 1927
“A quiet life and writing are usually incompatible concepts, and those who aspire to a peaceful life are better off not becoming a writer.”
3. John Ernst Steinbeck, 1902 – 1968
«Writing is a straightforward activity. You should select, out of the two sentences, the shorter one; out of the two terms, the simpler one; out of the two descriptions, the clearer one; and out of the two publishers, the one that sends a telegraph rather than a letter».
4. Ray Bradbury, American writer 1920 – 2012
“One must constantly be in a state of being in love with something. In my case, in books, in writing.“
5. Lois Bujold, American science fiction writer 1949
«When I go down to create a story, it’s not so that I can tell the audience what to think or even that I can tell them what I believe; rather, it’s so that the story can show me what I think. Writing is always a trip to uncover that route; it’s exciting for me, and I hope it will be fascinating for readers as well».
6. Truman Capote, 1924 – 1984
“This is not writing, this is graphomania”.
7. Charles Bukowski, American writer 1920 – 1994
«When I am in a state of emotional turmoil, I glance at my kitties. I have nine. I simply sit here and watch one of them sleep or drift off to sleep while I rest. Writing is also another one of my cats.»
8. Emil Michel Cioran, Romanian and French thinker-essayist 1911 – 1995
“Letters that primarily address mental agony and concerns of a philosophical nature rapidly become tedious to read.” Everything requires a certain amount of triviality to give the appearance that it is believable. If angels took up writing, then it would be difficult to read their works, except for those angels who had fallen from their positions. Because it is incompatible with inspiration, perfect purity is difficult to process and understand.
9. Stanisław Lem, Polish writer (fiction writer, essayist, satirist), philosopher and futurist 1921 – 2006
“It seems to me, for example, that a book can be written about my writing that would be generally isolated from the literary soil, and would say that I play the role of an antenna that preemptively snatches discoveries or turns of scientific thought in the field of fundamental concepts. <…> if we consider that I am a magnitude of the first class, then magnitudes of the same class should deal with me. But in fact, those who took up my work always dragged me down. It only became clear later. If someone admired Lem, then it turned out that, first of all, flying saucers admire him, and literature is in the fourth plane. <…> I think that if there were such a strange historian of literature who would dig into all these “Polish publications about me” and only then take up my books, he would endure a picture of the greatest confusion and “entanglement” in his head. Apart from reviews of my discursive works, he would know very little about my work. Reading these texts confirmed my hitherto intuitive conviction, which was the basis of my policy: do not read reviews. For it turned out that individuals who are considered domestic intellectuals are sure that reading Lem harms them. To health! It’s funny because these views have been voiced since Sum of Technology and a whole host of other books. It’s more of a sad symptom. <…> the taxonomy of my reviewers, if carried out on a diachronic plane, is correct, but on a synchronic one it is no longer true since their texts have been appearing for more than a quarter of a century.“
10. Stephen Moffat, Scottish screenwriter and producer 1961
“Remember Doctor Who. Before the credits, there is always a scene that sets the scene. I imagine that my audience is in a hurry to leave right now. They are almost done putting on their jackets, and their friends are waiting for them at the pub. And now that you know your viewer might be going on a date with a pretty girl, how can you stop him from putting on a jacket to the end and sticking his hand in the second sleeve? What will make him stop? The problem with Doctor Who is that a monster killing someone or an alien fortress under a stormy sky won’t help because these things happen all the time in Doctor Who. In other shows, both scenes would fit together well, and you’d think, “Damn, there’s something new in Call the Midwife this week!” when you saw this. How do I play Doctor Who? I don’t know, think on your own. But keep in mind that the cutscene will start in a few seconds, and everyone has already seen it all. In the pub, a beautiful woman is waiting for the viewer. This isn’t writing; it’s war. You have to stop the audience from leaving and finding happiness. Now that you have their attention, you have to keep it. What could happen in a scene before the credits that would make them stop what they’re doing and watch the beginning? Just to see what is going on? How do you get them to stay on the couch now that you’ve put them there? That’s the job of the rest of the story: as soon as the viewer takes a step toward the door, give them a new plot twist, a funny joke, or a dramatic moment that changes everything. Don’t let them go to the pub where their love is waiting for them. You have to do that, and you can forget about the three-act structure. Every line is an EMERGENCY!”
11. August Wilhelm Schlegel, German literary critic 1767 – 1845
“Writing, depending on the way it is conducted, can be a disgrace, debauchery, farm work, craft, art, virtue.”
12. Ray Charles, 1930 – 2004
“I know that many will disagree with me, but I consider music the greatest art of all, period. I know that those who are involved in film or writing will say: “Ray, you are just crazy!” But I still think that music is the greatest art.“
13. David Mitchell, Actor 1974
“Is your insight the result of writing? – It’s a unique sensation. You’re trying to put together a sentence, and you’re choosing between this word and that one. They mean the same thing, but the first word sounds better here. I like to choose words and put them together in a sentence. Even making one sentence is a lot of fun from an aesthetic point of view. And a unique experience. From a language point of view, this is interesting. One’s proposal, no matter how small, is a work of art. Even just two words! A sentence with only one word is not a sentence; it is just a word. But in just two words, you already have a plan and a piece of art!»
14. Steve Martin, 1945
“For me, writing is a laxative: it cleanses me.”
15. John Steinbeck, American writer 1902 – 1968
“Compared to writing, racing is a solid, reliable business.”
As a general rule, writing is tough, and not always motivational quotes for writers’ help. Writing is a hobby for most people, and the few who do it professionally often struggle to make ends meet. Similar to starting a business, it’s best for most people to get steady work rather than try to make a living as a writer.
I really hope that reading these motivational quotes for writers has made you feel a little bit better and has shown you that other people worry about the same things that you do. Make an effort to get yourself together and finish the book you’ve been reading, or use these quotes to inspire writers who need to finish their books.
