Writers write to influence their readers, their preachers, their auditors, but always, at bottom, to be more themselves.

Writers write to influence their readers, their preachers, their auditors, but always, at bottom, to be more themselves.

The true function of a writer is to produce a masterpiece and no other task is of any consequence.

The true function of a writer is to produce a masterpiece and no other task is of any consequence.

Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.

Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.

Originality is nothing by judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another.

Originality is nothing by judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another.

To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love. But then, one suffers from not loving. Therefore, read more

To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love. But then, one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be happy, one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness.

I write when I'm inspired, and I see to it that I'm inspired at nine o'clock every morning

I write when I'm inspired, and I see to it that I'm inspired at nine o'clock every morning

For a creative writer possession of the "truth" is less important than emotional sincerity.

For a creative writer possession of the "truth" is less important than emotional sincerity.

A writer is, after all, only half his book. The other half is the reader and from the reader the read more

A writer is, after all, only half his book. The other half is the reader and from the reader the writer learns.

For your born writer, nothing is so healing as the realization that he has come upon the right word.

For your born writer, nothing is so healing as the realization that he has come upon the right word.