Every sentence must do one of two things: reveal character or advance the action.
—Kurt Vonnegut

The writer's job is to get the main character up a tree, and then once they are up there, throw rocks at them.
—Vladimir Nabokov

The purpose of literature is to turn blood into ink.
—T.S. Elliot

Whether or not you write well, write bravely.
—Bill Stout

I try to pull the language into such a sharpness that it jumps off the page…. It must look easy, but it takes me forever.
—Maya Angelou

Don't be afraid to write crap because crap often makes good fertilizer.
—Jessica Brody

Write first drafts as if they will never be shown to anyone.
—Erica Jong

Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything good.
—William Faulkner

The gift of words is the gift of deception and illusion.
—Frank Herbert

Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down.
—John Steinbeck

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.
—Friedrich Nietzsche