You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.
If science fiction is the mythology of modern technology, then its myth is tragic.
I really think that if there’s any one enemy to human creativity, especially creative writing, it’s self-consciousness.
Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
A writer can do nothing for men more necessary, satisfying, than just simply to reveal to them the infinite possibilities of their own souls.
A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.
There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self.
Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.
Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.
Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.
In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader—not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.
If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.
To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.
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.
Cheat your landlord if you can and must, but do not try to shortchange the Muse. It cannot be done. You can’t fake quality any more than you can fake a good meal.
Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.
A novel is an impression, not an argument; and there the matter must rest.
Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.
Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.
Most writers regard the truth as their most valuable possession, and therefore are most economical in its use.