I’m an inveterate
collector of good quotes. I can’t help myself. When I hear a well-turned
phrase or an insightful observation, I tuck it away and come back to it
again and again.
Some of my favorite quotes are just plain funny, as when Ambrose Bierce
declares, “The covers of this book are too far apart,” or Groucho Marx says
in reference to S. J. Perelman’s first book, “From the moment I picked your
book up until I laid it down I was convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend
reading it.”
Equally clever -– and equally unkind -– is Samuel Johnson’s judgment
rendered to an aspiring writer: “Your manuscript is both good and original;
but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is
not good.”
Oscar Wilde demonstrates his ability to turn a phrase when he says, “The
difference between journalism and literature is that journalism is
unreadable and literature is not read.”
Other people in my collection offer insights into the craft of writing, as
when F. Scott Fitzgerald advises, “Cut out all those exclamation marks. An
exclamation mark is like laughing at your own joke.”
Mark Twain advises, “As to the adjective, when in doubt, strike it out,” and
William Zinsser declares, “There’s not much to be said about the period,
except that most writers don’t reach it soon enough.”
I also like Twain’s observation, “Writing is easy. All you have to do is
cross out the wrong words,” and Zinsser’s no-nonsense “Clutter is the
disease of American writing,” as well as his unforgettable “Bad writing
makes bright people look dumb.” That’s what I call putting it on the line.
Lewis Carroll’s character the King makes a disarmingly simple recommendation
to Alice: “Begin at the beginning . . . and go on till you come to the end:
then stop.” What could be easier?
Matthew Arnold offers timeless advice: “Have something to say and say it as
clearly as you can. That is the only secret of style.” And Stephen King
offers his own formula: “2nd Draft = 1st Draft - 10%.”
King says worlds about the writing process when he advises, “Write with the
door closed; rewrite with the door open.”
W. Somerset Maugham strings us along: “There are three rules for writing a
novel. Unfortunately, nobody knows what they are.”
E. L. Doctorow makes wonderful sense: “Writing a novel is like driving a car
at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the
whole trip that way.”
Then there’s Peter De Vries’ delightful quip: “I love being a writer. What I
can’t stand is the paperwork.”
As someone who sometimes struggles with deadlines, I especially appreciate
Douglas Adams’ comment: “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they
make as they go by.”
My all-time favorite? Dorothy Parker: “I can’t write five words but that I
change seven.”
I can relate.
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