13 Quotes On Writing You'll Want to Remember

When I'm in a writing funk, I find it helpful to remember all of the important and interesting things successful writers said about writing. These experienced creative minds understand the ups and downs of getting ideas onto paper. They understand disappointment and frustration. They completely get all of the obstacles beginning writers face, and it makes me feel better to I remember there are people out there who succeeded when all I want to do is bang my head against the wall.

Right now I am in a creative writing slump, so I made a visit to Google. Here are the results of my search. If you're a writer, you're not going to want to miss these. They'll give you hope. They'll guide you. They'll remind you of the most important thing: just keep writing.

But then your writing flows and you know: "I've got this."

You know what that means. JUST WRITE!

Take a chance! Write with abandon! Try something new!

Just keep writing, just keep writing...

Nope, it's not only you.

Your writing is a part of you.

This is something some writers forget.

Remember why you write.

Be more creative than that.

Show. Don't tell.

It's the verb that's often hardest.

What makes the better impact? What really paints the picture?

A writer's life.

40 Ways to Strengthen Your Writing and Avoid a "Very" Weak Word

Writer's often hear a simple, yet vitally important, piece of advice:

Never use the word, ‘very.’ It is the weakest word in the English language; doesn’t mean anything. If you feel the urge of ‘very’ coming on, just write the word, ‘damn,’ in the place of ‘very.’ The editor will strike out the word, ‘damn,’ and you will have a good sentence.

- William Allen White

"Very" often serves as a go-to word for many, but it simply leaves writing flat. Good writing draws the reader in and creates the writer's world in the reader's imagination. People imagine things with various differences, but when an author really paints a perfect picture, it helps readers to better "see" what the author "saw" when drafting the novel or poem. Compare the following three descriptions of the same scene:

Some rights reserved by Nick Kenrick.

1. Vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges blew very slowly across the sidewalk.

2. Vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges blew lazily across the sidewalk.

In this example, the idea is the same, but the presentation stands stronger because the word is stronger. As an intensifier, very is a modifier that provides no real meaning except to enhance or add force to the words that it modifies. Simply put, it's lazy filler. Admit it: it's easier to say something is very tall instead of thinking of a more descriptive word (such as towering) or thinking creatively (maybe using a metaphor or simile?). Shortcuts don't always breed success, however, and a good writer understands that readers desire substance, thought, and ingenuity.

The next time you find yourself writing that damn word very, sit back and reconsider. The English language overflows with synonyms for the simple word you chose. That's what makes writing so wonderful: the only limit is your imagination. Be creative! If you find yourself stuck, try one of the 50 very good  excellent replacements below.

very	bad	Awful	Atrocious
very	cold	Frigid	Freezing
very	wet	Drenched	Soggy
very	expensive	Costly	Pricey
very	sad	Depressed	Melancholy
very	fun	Entertaining	Delightful
very	happy	Ecstatic	Pleased
very	cute	Adorable	Precious
very	hot	Sizzling	Suffocating
very	painful	Agonizing	Excruiciating
very	tired	Exhausted	Pooped
very	comfortable	Cozy	Snug
very	boring	Monotonous	Tiresome
very	bright	Radiant	Vivid
very	dull	Dim	Witless
very	dark	Murky	Somber
very	clean	Immaculate	Unblemished
very	deep	Profound	Fathomless
very	young	Youthful	Juvenile
very	late	Belated	Delayed
very	tall	Lanky	Towering
very	short	Condensed	Abbreviated
very	small	Minuscule	Petite
very	big	Gigantic	Substantial
very	hairy	Fuzzy	Bewhiskered
very	shiny	Sparkling	Lustrous
very	calm	Harmonious	Serene
very	angry	Furious	Enraged
very	dry	Arid	Parched
very	long	Elongated	Stretched
very	gentle	Amiable	Tame
very	harsh	Bitter	Coarse
very	loud	Roaring	Boisterous
very	quiet	Muted	Hushed
very	nasty	Noxious	Vulgar
very	good	Favorable	Pleasing
very	smelly	Fetid	Rancid
very	bloody	Grisly	Crimson
very	thirsty	Parched	Droughty
very	hungry	Ravenous	Starved

The Importance of Place and Setting

When writing a novel or short story, it can be easy to forget that the reader does not see the setting showing clearly in the your mind. Building the setting and putting the reader in that moment and place takes careful consideration. Speaking as both a reader and writer, tossing someone into a scene that they cannot picture or place in the timeline of the novel is like dropping someone in the ocean and telling them to swim to the nearest island. But where are they? How do they find a sense of direction?

Readers need guidance and one of the ways to drive their fear, desire, anger, or heartbreak is through setting. Here is an imperfect example from the novel I am currently writing:

Ben's grieved howl responded in horror. As his brother dropped to his hands and knees and emptied his starved stomach onto the hardwood floor, Mike bit down on his tongue and held his white fists in the air before punching through the drywall to his right. A large photo of the smiling family watched over the motionless bodies. Their father lay face down on the couch, a gaping wound to his side emptying every pint of blood onto the now slick floor. Betty Sue was motionless beneath him, a large oozing bite to her left arm while her blue eyes stared toward the ceiling. Her arms hugged John's back, their only comfort found in one another those final moments.

Mike leaned his forehead against the wall as sobs overtook his body. Between wails, his chest heaved for breaths, and his cries sounded foreign to his own ears. He squeezed his eyes closed tightly, unable to view the room that held so many memories. The quilt their mother sewed years ago hung on the couch, now stained a deep red. The coffee table their father built for their fortieth anniversary. Family chronicles captured in photographs beamed from surfaces and hanging frames. Pain struck like bolts of lightning from his chest as he tried to block out the image of their death seared to his lids.

Yes, your characters drive your story. Yes, their joys, disappointments, successes, and pains pull your reader in. Just don't forget: the setting is just as important. A young woman passes by a coffee shop, remembering that first day she met her lost love. An elderly man leaves the home he shared for fifty years with his wife. A mother stands in her son's room the day after he leaves the state for college. All of these places hold significance.

Use the setting! Put your reader in that place, in that moment, and let them see, let them feel. Increase the tension. Kick the drama up a notch. Provide context. Appeal to the senses. Your reader will thank you.

Set Designer

Using 250-400 words, become the set designer for an invented character.  Describe a space related to the character: office, bedroom, living room, bathroom, etc.  Be detailed.  Are they messy or tidy?  What kind of clothes are in their closet? Do they have an office or cubicle?  Start big and then become more detailed.



Here's the key: the narrator must be someone other than the character in question, and he or she must look at the setting through their own eyes to tell the reader something about the owner of the space.

See mine after the jump!

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The Beginning of the End!

Today I am beginning one of my last three courses for my Master's degree. My last three courses will focus on fiction fundamentals, and I'll really be buckling down to work heavily on my thesis. I'm really torn on my thesis. The original idea that I applied to the program with is still hanging around in my head, but during my last class, an idea struck me that has stuck. I have a vision yet I'm completely nerve-wrecked that I can't pull it off.



The original idea was a dramatic love story. No glitz, no creatures of the night, etc. Humans with human problems, though not ones experienced in everyone's lives. My new idea is quite the opposite. I've always gravitated toward paranormal works, and I have a clear vision of this paranormal world where although the human population knows about other beings, they don't realize their complicit role in this underworld's corruption. Of course, it's more clear and detailed than that. Do I have the talent to fully create this other world for my readers? Can I write a decent fight scene? I have so many doubts about writing something that I love to read yet have never attempted myself.

I guess my question is this: should I stick with what I know and write the love story, or should I stretch my comfort zone and write my paranormal piece? Decisions, decisions!

A Surprising Fact About Late Night Creativity

You know those ideas that pop into your head late at night?  Maybe you're trying to sleep and your mind starts wandering with your Midnight Muse.  Perhaps you write best at night or that's when you have the most time.  Your mind races with ideas that you know you need to write down before they're lost.  Why in the world does my writer's block lift when I can't sleep?  Science has an explanation!

According to Business Insider's "10 Surprising Facts About How Our Brains Work," a sleepy brain is more creative:

If you’re tired, your brain is not as good at filtering out distractions and focusing on a particular task. It’s also a lot less efficient at remembering connections between ideas or concepts. These are both good things when it comes to creative work, since this kind of work requires us to make new connections, be open to new ideas and think in new ways. So a tired, fuzzy brain is much more use to us when working on creative projects.

Great news, writers!  Those late nights when you lose sleep to write have a productive purpose.  Next time your spouse questions your midnight dates with written word, don't be afraid to tell them that's when you're at your best... science has your proof.

Three Mistakes Beginning Writers Often Make

Every writer has their own strengths and weaknesses. Some are strong in grammar. Some are guilty of “showing” so much that they don't move the story along. Others don't give enough description. The more you write and get feedback from others, the more you will figure out what you need to work on to become a better writer. Here are three mistakes beginning and even experienced writers often make. I know I catch myself being guilty of these.

1. Spell-check Software vs Editing: Many believe a quick run of spell-check will catch all of their spelling and grammatical errors and quickly polish their piece for reader consumption. Think about this: does spell-check catch the difference between their, there, and they're? Simple mistakes or misspellings are not identified with basic spell-check programs.  You need to edit!  Read your work silently at least three times to identify spelling and grammatical errors.  Read it out loud to identify the flow of your work.  How does it sound to the reader?  You wouldn't believe the difference it makes to hear your work out loud.  Not only is it important to edit for errors, it's important to edit for clarity, flow, and readability.  You'll catch sentences that are full of filler.  You'll catch sentences that stumble through to the end.  Lesson learned: Edit!
2. Using Clichés: As a reader, how many times do you read the same metaphors over and over again?  Be creative with your descriptions, metaphors, etc.  I try to avoid clichés in my work unless I absolutely cannot think of something better.  If you have to, use them initially, but when you go back to edit, change to something more creative.  You'll be amazed at the things you can come up with if you just put in some effort.  Believe me, readers will appreciate it.
3. Wordiness!: When you put too much in a sentence, readers will stray and have a hard time following it.  For my final in my Place & Setting course this semester, we had to revise two of our major creative writing pieces in the class.  When I went back today to revise my very first assignment, I completely agreed with my professor that some of my sentences were over the top.  You can convey the same feelings, descriptions, or ideas in simple ways that do not lose your reader. 

James Scott Bell: "You do that . . . you become what's called a prolific writer"

Bestselling author James Scott Bell shares the best writing advice he knows: set a quota of words to write daily or weekly.



What's your quota? How often do you write?

First Lines Challenge: Day 14

As I watched the sun beat down on her shimmering skin, I knew.


Practice the power of opening lines. Take the 30 Day First Lines Challenge.

Top 4 Reasons Writers Avoid Writing

I've been there. I'm sure you have to. For one reason or another, you avoid that deep down biting desire to write. That story you've imagined for years, written in your head those late sleepless nights, that's been gnawing at your brain every time you pick up a pen, sits gathering dust in your mental library. But why?



Author Ronlyn Domingue explores this walls many writers hit in her article, "Listen to the Deep Know: The Urge for a Writer's Life."

1. Expectations. "You might ask yourself, "I want to write, but what would THEY think?" Ask yourself instead, "What do I want?" In the end, it's your life -- and your stories."
2. Circumstances. "Your path might be cluttered with obstacles. You want to get an MFA, but you don't think you can spare the cost or the time."
3. Fear. "This is the worst. It's connected to the darkness of the unknown and the heart of self-doubt. Sometimes, you wonder whether it matters if you write."
4. Stability. This is my own personal addition. Many writers may have good, solid careers.  For me, I have a job in healthcare with a promising future. If my career stays on this upward path, why try for something uncertain?

The whole point is that if you have the drive to write, you have to take chances.  I'm not saying just quit your job and go for it but work it in the wee hours of the night.  Set aside time.  Don't give up.  Your "deep know" won't.

First Lines Challenge: Day 10

It shattered, the broken webs crawling toward the sole keeper that could halt its fragmentation.


Practice the power of opening lines. Take the 30 Day First Lines Challenge.

First Lines Challenge: Day 9

A loud screeching slid closer as she shut her eyes and slowly exhaled.


Practice the power of opening lines. Take the 30 Day First Lines Challenge.

First Lines Challenge: Day 8

Shivering hands tore into the scarlet letter if only to drown the sound of his fading footsteps.


Practice the power of opening lines. Take the 30 Day First Lines Challenge.

Midnight Muse

I toss, I turn
I think, I think
My mind never rests
My thoughts are in sync

If my ears could copy
If my cheek could compose
a room full of pillows
would be inked, prose after prose.

A great idea!
Line, plot, word,
A promising work
this time I'm sure

I wake, I rise
I think, I think
My ideas are gone
My brain needs more ink.

First Lines Challenge: Day 7

I told her I could fly.

(Sometimes simple is best!)


Practice the power of opening lines. Take the 30 Day First Lines Challenge.

First Lines Challenge: Day 6

It couldn't taste pleasant, its grainy white particles coating teeth, tongue, and cheek, lingering in the throat and staining each swallow, yet she stands grinning as though it's a permanent fixture to her diet.

(Inspired By)


Practice the power of opening lines. Take the 30 Day First Lines Challenge.

First Lines Challenge: Day 5

Deep, darkening circles told of her endlessly sleepless night-pondering and pacing, anger and confusion, fear and pain-of memories pulling her back in time and pushing me into the unknown, a stranger in my own home with similar tired, sad eyes.


Practice the power of opening lines. Take the 30 Day First Lines Challenge.

First Lines Challenge: Day 4

The secretive darkness beyond the light's reach stalked her, black eyes blazing in the stillness of the night, breath drifting over sense-heightened flesh, body ready to pounce the moment she gained the courage to turn and run.


Practice the power of opening lines. Take the 30 Day First Lines Challenge.

The Writing Journal: Practice, Practice, Practice!

When teaching and developing literacy in children, the most important tool at a teacher's or parent's disposal is practice.  PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.  The more students practice writing, the better their writing becomes because they learn what works and what doesn't through hands-on assignments, especially with the proper guidance.  Journaling provides vital practice to young students, and it should become apart of your daily routine as well.  

The best tool at an aspiring writer's disposal is a journal.  Electronic or paper, whatever.  Write about your day, express your feelings, complain about the jerk who cut you off in traffic.  Write down ideas as they come, brainstorm for something you're currently writing, create simple poetry.  Write short stories, complete writing exercises, describe that character or scene you just can't get out of your head.  It doesn't matter what you write, just that you write.  Pick a certain time of the day and write as little or as much as you like but make sure that you write consistently.


I have a notebook at work and at home, but I also use features on my iPhone when I don't have a pen or have a thought I'd like to remember later.  My tendency to think of things when lying in bed at night has made this essential; after all, I can't write very legibly without a light (especially if it's long), so my phone is the perfect solution.  I cannot begin to count the number of ideas, sentences, characters, etc, that were lost due to the dark midnight hour.  What can I say? My muse is a night owl!

When you get to the point that you're writing creatively on a daily basis, I suggest "upgrading" to a writer's journal.  While there's no requirement to completely abandon the original journal, a writer's journal is important because it focuses on what you're writing.  Specifically, it provides a special place to document your journey and keep ideas, notes, and research that you can refer to as long as you write.  Explore thoughts and feelings related to characters, scenes, or plots.  React to your own work.  Flesh out histories, settings, or descriptions.  Create a journal entry as the character you're working on.  Make notes on where to pick up tomorrow.  Ultimately, the way you use your writing journal is up to you.  Use it to the fullest extent because you never know when something old might complement and infuse energy into something new.

First Lines Challenge: Day 3

The calm sway of tall grass against stone sang a slow, lonesome tune, its composer dancing among strands of tangled hair and obliviously mocking her jealousy.


Practice the power of opening lines. Take the 30 Day First Lines Challenge.