Rare is the writer who does not have a quotation tacked up above his or her desk. Sometimes it is inspiration that a writer seeks, sometimes cajoling. At times, one needs a bit of humor; at other times, advice. "Writing is the worst part of being a writer," quips James Atlas. "We have the power to bore people long after we are dead," muses Sinclair Lewis. "Don't try to save junk just because it took you a long time to write it," warns David Eddings.
These snippets, culled from other writers' experience, provide company for the solitary scribe. Yes, you are alone, they seem to say, but, no, you are not really alone. Well, William A. Gordon's office must hum like a cocktail party. I mean, the guy must buy thumbtacks by the case. Gathered here are the 1,000 most "memorable, thought-provoking, humorous, and/or important quotations from Gordon's collection, arranged into more than 50 categories, including "critics," "humor," "inspiration," and "self-publishing." The Quotable Writer is sure to provide hours of entertainment. That is, unless you choose to heed Lillian Hellman, quoted by Gordon: "If I had to give young writers advice," she told The New York Times in 1960, "I'd say, don't listen to writers talking about writing." --Jane Steinberg
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"The Quotable Writer taps the power of words for the wordsmiths who live and make their living by them. Dip into it and see if you don't find yourself driven to write some yourself." David A. Fryxell, editorial director and nonfiction columnist for Writer's Digest, and author of How to Write Fast (While Writing Well) and Elements of Article Writing: Structure and Flow William A. Gordon has created a Barlett's of the literary life with The Quotable Writer, a collection of roughly a thousand of the best things ever said or written by and about writers and writing. These are the kinds of quotes you'll want to enlarge and stick on your bulletin board or tape to the top of your computer monitor, to glance at for affirmation and encouragement when the blank page before you stubbornly stays blank. These are the words of wisdom from writers who've beaten writer's block, defeated deadlines, triumphed over transitions, and created characters for the ages. You'll hear, too, from writers who crashed and burned out in the literary life, and you'll realize that maybe your own writing woes aren't so bad, after all.
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