Ten Memorable Quotes to Inspire Your Writing

by Gloria Reichert 

 Did you ever have one of those writing days?                                            

                                         

                                            Tired?                                    

 Struggling with writer’s block?                        

     Feeling impostor’s syndrome? 

At times like these, when we need inspiration, reading quotes from other writers who have been where we are - staring at a blank page – can help us find the courage to begin. Their quotes show us that many great authors probably have shared our feelings and also reveal how they feel about the craft of writing. In the hope that reading their quotes will encourage us to put pen to paper, here are ten of my favorite quotes to empower your writing.   

 

                                               

 

1. “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” William Wordsworth 

2. “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” Benjamin Franklin 

3. “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.” Margaret Atwood 

4. “If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” Martin Luther 

5. “Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.” Jane Yolen 

6. “I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build sandcastles.” Shannon Hale 

7. “All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world.” 

E. B. White 

8. “The idea is to write so that people hear it, and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.” Maya Angelou 

9. “There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they will take you.” Beatrix Potter 

10. “You fail only if you stop writing.” Ray Bradbury

  

Writing is a challenge. 

It takes time and effort to craft the stories that will impact children’s lives in positive ways. To be prepared for those gloomy writing days, start your own list of author quotes. Keep an on-going list in a journal or notebook. Post one on or near your writing area and change them periodically. They could spur your creativity, energize your thinking, and get you back to writing!