Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
A real book is not one that’s read, but one that reads us.
Instead of following the rules without regard for whether they’re making our writing effective or not, we often need to question the rules. To write with style, we need at times to break the rules.
I really think that if there’s any one enemy to human creativity, especially creative writing, it’s self-consciousness.
There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self.
Being a writer means taking the leap from listening to saying, “Listen to me”.
How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.
Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.
Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.
Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.
I have been successful probably because I have always realized that I knew nothing about writing and have merely tried to tell an interesting story entertainingly.
Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader—not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.
A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.
It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.
A writer without interest or sympathy for the foibles of his fellow man is not conceivable as a writer.
Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.
Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.
I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.
A writer can do nothing for men more necessary, satisfying, than just simply to reveal to them the infinite possibilities of their own souls.
The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.
A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.