Charles Baudelaire on Writing Style

“Always be a poet, even in prose.”

~ Charles Baudelaire

Source: BrainyQuote

Lillian Hellman on Cynicism

“Cynicism is an unpleasant way of saying the truth.”

~ Lillian Hellman (June 20, 1905 – June 30, 1984)

Source: A Quotation: Lillian Hellman

Benjamin Disraeli on Opening Quotations

“When we would prepare the mind by a forcible appeal, an opening quotation is a symphony preluding on the chords those tones we are about to harmonize.”

~ Benjamin Disraeli

Source: The Quotations Page: Benjamin Disraeli

Lillian Helman on Writers’ Hopes

“Nothing you write, if you hope to be any good, will ever come out as you first hoped.”

~ Lillian Helman

Source: “Writing” Ink

Elmore Leonard on What to Leave Out

“I try to leave out the parts that people skip.”

~ Elmore Leonard

Source: “Writing” Ink

John Dryden on Language

“I trade both with the living and the dead for the enrichment of our native language.”

~ John Dryden, Dedication to translation of The Æneid

Source: WikiQuote

Matthew Arnold on the Secret of Writing

“Have something to say, and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret.”

~ Matthew Arnold

Source: Quotable Quotes

Henry Ward Beecher about Words

“Words are pegs to hang ideas on.”

~ Henry Ward Beecher, Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit. The Human Mind (1887)

Source: WikiQuotes

Mark Twain on Unnecessary Words

“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

Source: GoodReads

Stephen King on Short Stories

“A short story is a different thing all together – a short story is like a kiss in the dark from a stranger.”

~ Stephen King, Skeleton Crew

Source: GoodReads