5 Quotes That Will Make You a Better Writer

Quotes from writers help power us through writing slumps. It helps to hear from those who have come before. Whether they speak of the difficulties they faced, the lessons they learned, or the joy writing gives them, what they share about writing can motivate us to write and teach us to write better.

Some famous writers generously offer practical advice on topics as broad as how to write better to where to look for motivation to write.

Finding the motivation to write, as anyone who has ever tried putting words on paper out of passion for the craft or especially as a profession knows, can sometimes be the hardest part of the writer’s life. But as we have all noticed, whenever we feel writer's block, forcing ourselves to sit down — with time and the right combination of magic words starts the writing flow. This flow state is what we are all searching for as writers. It is that blessed amount of time when we don’t think, words just flow naturally. Hopefully, these quotes will help open that writing floodgate.

Let’s read these quotes and think about how we can make them our own this weekend. Some quotes will inspire us to sit down and write, and some will inspire us to live a life worth writing about.

Everyone should make a habit of writing. That is, everyone should set aside time regularly to write, and Fika is here to help achieve that. So read these quotes, find your inspiration, and then publish something for your readers.

Writing quote #1: Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you’re doomed.

This quote by Ray Bradbury may sound surprising at first, but it essentially reiterates two things.

The first thing this quote suggests is that, according to a loose interpretation of the law of large numbers, if we persist, what we expect is eventually bound to happen: we will produce a work of high quality.

Secondly, the quote tells us that “practice makes perfect," and “perfect is the enemy of good.”

This quote by Bradbury, one of the most famous science fiction writers, tells us to keep writing, and it will lead to good writing.

Writing quote #2: I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.

This quote by the great Flannery O’Connor points to one of the great truths of writing that we at Fika also feel embodies our platform's values. That truth is this: writing is thinking.

Even if you view writing differently and prefer to plan everything you write ahead of time, the writing process is sheer exploration. Treating it as exploration and accepting that you never know where you will end up is the best antidote to writer’s block. It doesn’t matter what you write; just start. Let the words flow and produce a few pages. You can edit afterwards.

Writing quote #4: If you cannot write well, you cannot think well

Echoing O’Connor, here is another great quote on writing from Oscar Wilde. This iteration takes the act of writing as thinking a step further, emphasizing that writing grants an even greater power: the power to think, which in turn gives you autonomy.

Writing quote #4: Writing a novel is like driving a car at night

This quote from Anne Lamott’s book Bird by Bird elaborates on the topic of writing as exploration.

Her book is a bible for writers, every page filled with writing gold.

Writing quote #5: If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.”

Getting caught up in work, social media, and other distractions poses a greater risk now than ever before. It is a risk to the writer and the reader in you.

Time spent doomscrolling could be time spent with a book in your hands. If not a book, then a pen and paper, or at least your laptop or phone with Fika open, and you typing away at your newest post that your loving fans are eager to read.

While the number of people who say they read for pleasure is decreasing in the US, numbers from Europe show something else. The number of people who state they read for pleasure is increasing in Spain, and across Europe there has actually been an overall increase in the amount of time spent reading.

Regardless of where you place yourself in comparison to these statistics in terms of your reading habits, it is undeniable that as a writer, the easiest way to improve your craft is by reading. You should read to understand writing. Read to see how others have written similar things to what you also want to write. Read books, magazines, and poetry. Read in bed, on the bus, or wherever your heart desires. Push yourself to read more and watch your writing improve.

Enough writing quotes to start with?

Now that we have heard the wisdom of these five authors, it is time for you to get writing. Whether you do it with a pen and paper or on your phone, or even with a stick in the sand, it doesn’t matter. The only important thing is to start writing now.

Promise yourself to publish something this weekend! Share it on Fika so we can read it too.