1
“Easy reading is damn hard writing.”
—Nathaniel Hawthorne
2
“For a creative writer possession of the ‘truth’ is less important than emotional sincerity.”
—George Orwell
3
“One can be absolutely truthful and sincere even though admittedly the most outrageous liar. Fiction and invention are of the very fabric of life.”
—Henry Miller
4
“Write what should not be forgotten.”
—Isabel Allende
5
“A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.”
—Anthony Trollope
6
“Remember: Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.”
—Ray Bradbury
7
“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”
—Mark Twain
8
“Cut out all these exclamation points. An exclamation point is like laughing at your own joke.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald
9
“Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.”
—Franz Kafka
10
“You can make anything by writing.”
—C.S. Lewis
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Which of these tips is your favorite?
This post is a continuation of 15 Writing Tips From Famous Authors.
boy with a hat 
4, 7, and 8 are my favorites. I totally enjoy them all. Thanks for sharing. True words for thought.
Just what I needed this morning. Thanks for posting.
Damn good post!
1,2&4. Love the post!
# 6 by far is my favorite! Great post!
#10 for me
Ray Bradbury, Anthony Trollope. 😉
Kafka’s (#9) is my favorite. Number one isn’t really a tip. 😉 Numbers seven and eight are excellent advice. Which one is your favorite, dearest?
Number one. 🙂 I think it’s an implicit tip. No action verb but a profound observation. When I first started writing I used to think that the good sentences would always come easily and naturally. It’s just the opposite. I have to work hard for them.
I tilt my hat toward you, Jess.
🙂 I love number one, too. Only writers understand this.
*blush*
1,4,5 and 7. Number 5 was perhaps the most important for me today.
5, 6 and 9 are my favorites. I think that number 9 is the one that speaks to me the most right now…
1 & 6. Nr 1 is the one that I tend to read often when I post… ;). I always read those notes on the side, cause I find them very true & interesting. And this one makes me think of all those beautiful books that are just so tiring to read… It’s easy to overdo a good story by wanting it to be special. The story is special from the start. No need to push it more.
8 is my favour8
I like 1º, 3º and 4°, but 9° is my favorite.
Great tips! Especially loved 7!
“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” —Mark Twain
I’ve learned something from each of them. 4 & 8 spoke the loudest today. Great tips.
Franz Kafka & Isobel Allenda speak wisely to me… thankyou