Writing is fun but often challenging work. It can be especially difficult for young writers who are just starting on their writing journey. The good thing is that writers throughout history have experienced both the joys and frustrations of this craft, and many of them have shared advice and words of wisdom to inspire the next generation of writers.
Here are 15 inspiring quotes from authors, artists, and other creatives to keep in mind during your next writing session.
“To gain your own voice, you have to forget about having it heard.” — Allen Ginsberg
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” — Pablo Picasso
“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.” — Robert Frost
“The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.” — Stephen King
“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.” — Virginia Woolf
“A writer, I think, is someone who pays attention to the world.” — Susan Sontag
“Writing is its own reward.” — Henry Miller
“If there’s a book you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” — Toni Morrison
“I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.” — Shannon Hale
“All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given us.” — J.R.R. Tolkien
“One thing that helps is to give myself permission to write badly. I tell myself that I’m going to do my five or 10 pages no matter what, and that I can always tear them up the following morning if I want. I’ll have lost nothing—writing and tearing up five pages would leave me no further behind than if I took the day off.” — Lawrence Block
“A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” — Thomas Mann
“I believe that writing is derivative. I think good writing comes from good reading.” — Charles Kuralt
“You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.” — Saul Bellow
“Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye.” — Dorothy Parker
