TIPS FOR WRITERS | HOW TO WRITE STORIES PEOPLE READ | WRITING ADVICE
10 Quotes That Will Make You a Better Writer
Advice from famous writers
Success as a writer requires patience and commitment, and these quotes are some of my favorites because I’ve found them to be true to the letter. Oftentimes, new writers stop writing too soon because they think that they are not having success.
The truth of the matter is you are successful at writing when you finish a piece and publish it for others to see, in my opinion. That’s whether or not it goes viral or gets many views. But, if you want to have an audience you must grow the audience. If you want to make money writing, particularly here on Medium, then you must put in the work.
The advice in the following quotes from famous and successful writers can point you in the right direction.
“[As a writer] you have to have the three D’s: drive, discipline and desire. If you’re missing any one of those three, you can have all the talent in the world, but it’s going to be really hard to get anything done.” — Nora Roberts
Nora hits the nail on the head with the three D’s, especially with discipline. It takes focus and dedication to be committed to consistency, and that is what discipline in writing is all about.
“Good writing is remembering detail. Most people want to forget. Don’t forget things that were painful or embarrassing or silly. Turn them into a story that tells the truth.”— Paula Danziger
Paula is right! Don’t hold back. Be passionate and don’t be afraid to tell the story like it is. Readers want to feel something from your writing. Give them that. Take them on a journey with you through your writing.
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” — Stephen King
Stephen King, a master of evoking emotion in the reader. He has written and published 69 novels and 200+ short stories, since 1974. This quote is gold. I have found that my magic formula for writing success on Medium is this: Write, read, engage, repeat.
“If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.” — Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar is referring to the Law of Large Numbers and it makes sense. The odds of one or a few of 100 stories getting traction are very good. Go ahead. Put it to the test. Make a writing schedule and commit to writing 100 stories on Medium and you will see some success.
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” — Maya Angelou
Another master of the written word as well as the spoken word, Ms. Angelou is telling us that we are full of interesting stories and writing them fulfills us from within.
“Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.” — Ray Bradbury
Ray is on the same vibe as Stephen King by pointing out that reading, reading, and more reading is one of the keys to writing success, as is writing something every day. It could be a sentence, a paragraph, an entire story or article, or an entry in a journal or diary. Whatever it is just write something each day, and you’ll see success as a writer.
“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.”— Barbara Kingsolver
This is something that I do and recommend to others and that is to write from your heart, mind, feelings, and experiences. Barbara’s speaking of telling stories. People can relate to the stories that you have to tell, whether they’re personal experiences or stories about the experiences of others. Just put down on paper what you have to say about whatever and offer that to your readers.
“A writer is working when he’s staring out of the window.” — Burton Rascoe
Now, this is deep. Burton is pointing out that stories are everywhere. Everything that you do and see, hear, taste, touch, and experience. Everything that you are and all that you’re not. The world around you, everything large and small and in-between can be written about. The writer’s mind is always in story-telling mode and sees beyond what others see.
“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” — Sylvia Plath
Sylvia is right on with this! Don’t doubt yourself. Don’t be afraid to write. Just do it. There’s no right or wrong. Writing is expressive and you can express yourself in your writing the way you see fit.
“Never, never, never, never give up.” — Winston Churchill
Last but not least, Mr. Winston Churchill sums it up perfectly. Keep going. You may fall but get back up and keep moving. You may get discouraged but don’t stop. You must never give up if you want to achieve.
Keeping these quotes in mind has been a tremendous help to me in becoming a better writer and gaining traction and success as a writer on Medium. And they can do the same for you.
One last thing.
