The wastebasket is a writer's best friend. ~Isaac Bashevis Singer

[sariagray]

Some quotes to keep me focused whilst I edit this monstrosity. I hope you enjoy. Meanwhile, I will be banging my head against this here wall. Don't mind the blood spatter.

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath

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

Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~Anton Chekhov

Be obscure clearly. ~E.B. White

You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what's burning inside you. And we edit to let the fire show through the smoke. ~Arthur Polotnik

True Ease in Writing comes from Art, not Chance,
As those move easiest who have learn'd to dance.
~Alexander Pope, "An Essay on Criticism"

Sit down, and put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it. ~Colette, Casual Chance, 1964

A metaphor is like a simile. ~Author Unknown

Do not put statements in the negative form.
And don't start sentences with a conjunction.
If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a
great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all.
De-accession euphemisms.
If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.
~William Safire, "Great Rules of Writing"

A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the other one. ~Baltasar Gracián

Comments

[too-beauty.livejournal.com]

Excellent quotes!

[sariagray.livejournal.com]

They have been rather helpful. :)

[usakiwigirl.livejournal.com]

Love these! Had to copy one of them down, it's beautiful. Even if I was three sentences into it before I realised each sentence was the rule!

That would be the one by William Safire, BTW.

Enjoyed meeting you two on Sunday, glad you made it back okay. Sorry I've not said anything sooner, it's been crazy and I've barely had a chance to log on. We fight over the free connections and even though we have a third that we can pay to use, my hubs doesn't want to! It's still cheaper than internet anywhere else, but I can't convince him that it's okay. Boys.

[sariagray.livejournal.com]

I love that one, too. I've always been taught by writing instructors that breaking the rules is allowed, but only if you know them. Otherwise it's just sloppy. This poem reminds me of that advice all of the time.

We enjoyed meeting you, too! We only wish we could've stayed longer! And sorry you're still fighting over internet. :( I would go completely bonkers. *hugs*

[cwitch.livejournal.com]

Sylvia saves the day ... again! Thanks hun. I think a big ol' dose of "writing balls" just ended my staring at the screen for the last hour. TYVM

[sariagray.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad! I plan to print these out eventually and stick them on my wall. Glad they could help another poor soul like mine! *Still bashing head against wall*

[sassysailorgirl.livejournal.com]

LMAO! The last one is SO TRUE! That happens to me a lot whilst I'm writing ;p

[sariagray.livejournal.com]

I do it, too. And I have a strange overzealous need to avoid using the same word twice in a piece. Oh, how I love my thesaurus.

[thebuttonontop.livejournal.com]

i'm not sure how i missed this post. i LOOOVE quotes. *stealz*

also... no blood spatter.

[sariagray.livejournal.com]

Ianto cleaned it up, don't worry! :)