(Some of) My Favorite Quotes on Writing

Quotes on writing are more than just inspiring. They can teach us important lessons about writing, encourage us to keep going, or remind us just what our writing is all about. Here are some of my favorites, and why I like them:

“Everyone who’s making something beautiful is your ally. Don’t be discouraged. You can’t write like C.S. Lewis? Well, C.S. Lewis couldn’t write like you. You bring something different. Keep going, be encouraged, not discouraged.” - Jonathan Rogers

I heard this quote in a lecture for one of the many writing classes I have taken with Jonathan Rogers. (I believe it was Writing on the Dawn Treader). It’s a great reminder that, while we all probably have our literary heroes that we look up to, we don’t need to be hard on ourselves when our writing isn’t like theirs. Because it isn’t going to be, and that’s a good thing. We would all tell the same story differently, and that’s a beautiful thing about storytelling.

“You may not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page.” - Jodi Picoult

I have to be perfectly honest, I have no idea who Jodi Picoult is. I got this quote from another writing friend and was truly encouraged by it. It’s always good to remember, when I’m hating what I’m writing, that I’m not writing the final draft. There’s time to change it. I shouldn’t not write because I don’t think it’s perfect.

“Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” - E. L. Doctorow

Again, I got this quote from the same writer friend, and though I don’t know anything about its author, I love the quote. It’s just so true! When I’m writing, I know the general plan, but sometimes I don’t know all the specifics of that plan. But when I get there, I can see what’s going to happen. It is a very fun (and sometimes frustrating) part of writing!

“We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

A beautiful quote by one of my favorite authors. I love this quote because of all the meaning and truth it holds. Your writing reflects your worldview, and as a Christian, your writing is going to show that. And that is so beautiful. Stories are powerfu (I believe C.S.Lewis has a quote about that, but I’m not sure where…). I pray that mine will, as Tolkien puts it “reflect a splintered fragment of the true light” and maybe touch one soul in a deep and meaningful way. And this ties in perfectly with the next quote:

“Somewhere out there, men and women with redeemed, integrated imaginations are sitting down to spin a tale that awakens, a tale that leaves the reader with a painful longing that points them home.” - Adorning the Dark, by Andrew Peterson

I’m not even sure I’ll be able to find the words to express how much I love this quote. This is definitely my absolute favorite quote on writing, from absolute favorite book on creativity and writing (seriously, go read it if you haven’t already), and I long for my writing to look like this. It so perfectly sums up my purpose in writing. A tale that points even just one reader home to Christ, for the glory of God. I pray it will, someday.

Well, this is a selection of my favorite quotes on writing. There are so many more I’ve found and love, but these are my favorites of them all. What is one of your favorite quotes on writing? I’d love to hear it!

- Auriel