97 Inspiring Author Quotes

Inspiration often finds its way to us through the profound wisdom of those who have dedicated their lives to the art of storytelling. Authors, with their ability to weave intricate narratives and explore the depths of human emotion, have a unique way of capturing the essence of life's complexities. In this curated collection of the top 97 inspiring author quotes, we delve into the minds of literary greats, uncovering words that both motivate and resonate deeply with readers across generations. Whether you're seeking motivation, solace, or a spark of creativity, these quotes offer timeless insights that continue to influence and inspire. Join us as we celebrate the power of words and the transformative impact they hold.

1. “The real novelist, the perfectly simple human being, could go on, indefinitely imaging. ” - Virginia Woolf

2. “The stories that unfold in the space of a writer's study, the objects chosen to watch over a desk, the books selected to sit on the shelves, all weave a web of echoes and reflections of meanings and affections, that lend a visitor the illusion that something of the owner of this space lives on between these walls, even if the owner is no more.” - Alberto Manguel

3. “I used to always read with a pen in my hand, as if the author and I were in a conversation. ” - Tara Bray Smith

4. “My author role model is Kurata Misako. I want to be rich enough to drive from room to room in my home but also down to earth enough to let squirrels live in my hair.” - Christy Leigh Stewart

5. “We have all been empowered by the web: everyone with a keyboard can now effectively broadcast to a national audience. In a sense, it puts each of us on the same footing as the major media conglomerates, except for AOL, who now apparently own all our thoughts and teeth.” - John Hodgman

6. “Every well-written book is a light for me. When you write, you use other writers and their books as guides in the wilderness. ” - kate dicamillo

7. “But will you not have a house to care for? Meals to cook? Children whining for this or that? Will you have time for the work?" "I'll make time," I promised. "The house will not always be so clean, the cooking may be a little hasty, and the whining children will sit on my lap and I'll sing to them while I work.” - Gloria Whelan

8. “Life's adventures make great reading!” - Denise Robbins

9. “If you wait to live you will never succeed. Living begins today and it begins within you.” - Asa Don Brown

10. “Do not put statements in the negative form.And don't start sentences with a conjunction.If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that agreat deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all.De-accession euphemisms.If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.” - William Safire

11. “Sometimes writing everyday is like pulling teeth, painful, but necessary.” - Wendy Swore

12. “But you can't fault me on my footnotes. I've worked hard on them and they look pretty impressive. And almost all the sources I quote actually exist. I must confess, however, that the idea of putting footnotes in chapter 5, the autobiographical chapter, started out simply as a joke. Who but a biblical scholar would think of footnoting an autobiography? But the joke quickly got out of hand and become a significant part of that chapter. I plan someday to write a scholarly article consisting of a single sentence and a twenty-page footnote.” - Jeffrey L. Staley

13. “Where Norman Rockwell is the Artist for the man on the street, O'Henry is his author.” - Sonia Rumzi

14. “Write what you know best. If you can't survive a cross-examination from a lawyer on the subject, you won't survive an interview with a journalist or anchorperson." Linda Radke, President of Five Star Publications.” - Linda F. Radke

15. “Even the most beautifully written, perfectly edited and well-designed books will fail if people aren't made aware of them!" ––Linda Radke, President of Five Star Publications, on the importance of public relations and marketing.” - Linda F. Radke

16. “May my heart be kind, my mind fierce, and my spirit brave.” - Kate Forsyth

17. “The only happy author in this world is he who is below the care of reputation.” - Washington Irving

18. “Most people keep their dreams to themselves, afraid to follow their hearts. Writers make their dreams a reality with each word, each line that flows from their pen.” - CK Webb

19. “~Reading a book is like looking through a window!” - Zetta Hupf

20. “I'd always admired writers. I'd always loved words on a page. Somehow, words seemed to bypass image and get straight to the heart of things. Somehow, words seemed big enough to contain pain, and sentences could pull broken bits together.” - Rosie O'Donnell

21. “Let your words be your voice. And let your voice be heard within the hearts of others.” - Anasia Nicole Hixon

22. “The difference is slight, to the influence of an author, whether he is read by five hundred readers, or by five hundred thousand; if he can select the five hundred, he reaches the five hundred thousand.” - Henry Adams

23. “Yeah, I write Urban Fantasy, but its more like Die Hard or Indiana Jones with Fairies, Mummies and a Vampire who uses guns more than his teeth.” - Kevin James Breaux

24. “He has tongue of a writer.” - Toba Beta

25. “The brightest light casts the darkest shadow.” - Jess C. Scott

26. “Now may this little Book a blessing beTo those that love this little Book, and me:And may its Buyer have no cause to say,His money is but lost, or thrown away.” - John Bunyan

27. “Warfare is a series of tragedies enjoined by logistics.” - Kevin Carson

28. “Not matter what your sacred or religious book is, it's not how well you know the book, it's how well you're in alignment with the author.” - Steve Maraboli

29. “The proper function of the critic is to save the tale from the artist who created it.” - D.H. Lawrence

30. “If Fran Lebowitz and Ian Fleming had blessed the world with a love child it would have been author J. Fields Jr.” - Edward Medina

31. “Content is King. Promotion is Queen” - Bob Mayer

32. “To be or not to be wasn't the question meant; it was the secret answer hidden in riddled defense.” - Michael Anthony Gill-Branion

33. “...Love can give you the most exhilarating wonderful highs at times... ...Then there will be dives that will take all you have just to hold on... Quote on the Title Page of "Love TORN Asunder” - Elizabeth Funderbirk

34. “Miss, I'd gladly pay you to remove your clothes.” - David Scheier

35. “It was unhealthy to get too attached. Such things were best reserved for people who had a life expectancy” - Matthew S. Williams

36. “I'm not trying to please anyone. I'm just trying to write a damn book.” - Richard Denney

37. “If you hear voices, you’re a lunatic. If you write down what they say, you’re an author.” - Dani Harper

38. “This is for everyone who has ever looked at the stars, or gazed from atop a hill, or across the sea and wondered...” - Tim Perkins

39. “Originality, not Intelligence, is the sign of a brilliant Author. All the Education in the world won't help someone who can't think for themselves.” - A.M. Sawyer

40. “Be good, or good at it.” - Belo Cipriani

41. “A critic is a legless man who teaches other people to run” - Channing Pollock

42. “What are the messages that you are entertaining?” - Asa Don Brown

43. “A writer's age at the time of a work's composition is never irrelevant.” - Margaret Atwood

44. “I’m 100% certain of the quality of story I’m writing until I finish the outline and actually begin to write. At this point, I’m 100% certain the story sucks and I will never show it to another living soul. Until I type “THE END.” At this point, I’m 50% certain it sucks, 50% certain it’s brilliant, and 100% certain if I don’t show it to someone I will spontaneously combust.” - Renee Miller

45. “In the shower today I tried to think about the best advice I'd ever been given by another writer. There was something that someone said at my first Milford, about using style as a covering, but sooner or later you would have to walk naked down the street, that was useful...And then I remembered. It was Harlan Ellison about a decade ago.He said, "Hey. Gaiman. What's with the stubble? Every time I see you, you're stubbly. What is it? Some kind of English fashion statement?""Not really.""Well? Don't they have razors in England for Chrissakes?""If you must know, I don't like shaving because I have a really tough beard and sensitive skin. So by the time I've finished shaving I've usually scraped my face a bit. So I do it as little as possible.""Oh." He paused. "I've got that too. What you do is, you rub your stubble with hair conditioner. Leave it a couple of minutes, then wash it off. Then shave normally. Makes it really easy to shave. No scraping."I tried it. It works like a charm. Best advice from a writer I've ever received.” - Neil Gaiman

46. “To be a highflier and a name to conjure with, you must decide your dimension, plan your path, master the moment, focus on the future, determine your degree, push your persistence and leadyour life.” - Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha

47. “There are days when writing is within my power and a story unfolds along a course I've already chosen.  And then there are days when the words breathe on their own and take me by the hand, leading me along unfathomed paths.  Either way, the end result is this author's fairy tale.” - Richelle E. Goodrich

48. “The first step to Happiness is deciding exactly what kind of life you want. That kinda comes from experience.” - I.B. Opene

49. “...ending a book with a sequel in such a way that the reader still has faith in the characters and in the writer. That's finesse.” - Shandy L. Kurth

50. “Bring on the controversy. I write real life. It's harsh and sometimes gritty, but it's real. Why should we tip toe around that?” - Shandy L. Kurth

51. “WHEN THE ALMIGHTY HAS PREDESTINED YOU, THERE IS NOONE IN THIS PHYSICAL LIFE THAT CAN BLOCK YOUR BLESSINGS.....” - Muffin

52. “Rewriting is the crucible where books are born.” - Cathryn Louis

53. “I have had my say, as he wished. Now the book belongs, as he points out, to the world he claims to speak for.” - Julian Darius

54. “A book series is never truly over. The story lives on, even when the final page has been turned.” - Richard Denney

55. “As a writer, you must truly possess a love for words.""Yes, that's right," I agreed."I've noticed that some authors favor particular words, making frequent use of them. Do you have a favorite?"I nodded assuredly and shared my answer. "BECAUSE."My interviewer looked surprised, as though he'd expected an impressive adjective or some rare verb. "That's your favorite word? Why?"I tried not to smirk. "Because.” - Richelle E. Goodrich

56. “There is no good or bad author; there is only one kind of an author, that who connects with the readers.” - Saru Singhal

57. “I am so happy that I made someone cry today - don't worry I'm a writer. It's when they make me cry that it's a problem.” - Tina Smith

58. “Ending a series is a difficult one .......where should a story that you have followed for so long end? When do you step away from the characters and let the readers decide their fate from there? When they can stand on their own is my only answer for that.” - Shandy L. Kurth

59. “The best part about being a writer is getting the last word.” - Shannon L. Alder

60. “A writer who has perfect writing skills and zero honesty is not an author but a sales person.” - Sandra Chami Kassis

61. “I look forward to seeing more of this author's writings. Linda Strong” - Vicki M. Taylor

62. “Art is a captured emotion. When I say this I mean all artists, whether you are a photographer, a writer, or sculptor, you are trying to capture the way someone or something made you feel. As a story teller I am trying to captivate the audience and allow them to feel just a small portion of the emotion I am desperately trying to preserve.” - Tommy Tran

63. “A daydreamer is a writer just waiting for pen and paper.” - Richelle E. Goodrich

64. “The hours spent forming a written work can make one obsessive, distracted, compulsive, and neurotic even, especially when it comes to those rare, precious occasions of streaming pure inspiration. To have a muse moment interrupted - to watch her scuttle back into hiding with unshared insight remaining on the tip of her tongue - is a wicked irritation. When a writer's eyes glaze over, when she stares off at nothing or appears to be memorizing the lines on a blank page, when she falls asleep at the desk... tiptoe softly. For a writer's greatest desire is to receive inspiration; her greatest nightmare, to have tossed to the wind what could have been captured in words.” - Richelle E. Goodrich

65. “My main task as an artist is to show you either what you have never seen before -- or to show you what you have seen countless times, in a way you've never seen it.” - Mike Duron

66. “When I finally find that one willing agent, I'll have found my prize in the Cracker Jack box.” - Richelle E. Goodrich

67. “To fight discouragement, remind yourself of the basics: I can write.I have the opportunity to do so. I love what I write. Now smile and be thankful.” - Richelle E. Goodrich

68. “Poetry is no rocket science, a good poet writes from his heart!” - Saru Singhal

69. “I love when I finish reading a chapter that I wrote and my cheeks hurt from smiling and all I can utter is, 'Wow.'” - Richelle E. Goodrich

70. “Psalm 37:44 Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” - LaNina King

71. “The great thing about writing fiction is that you can do whatever the fuck you want, go as far as you are willing to go, and laugh at the people who take it seriously.” - Richard Denney

72. “Confession: I don't want to be one of my characters. I'm mean to them sometimes. Really mean.” - Michelle M. Pillow

73. “My cat mocks me frequently. It's the universe's way of keeping me from getting too big of an ego.” - Michelle M. Pillow

74. “The web is a dangerous place for a mind begging to slack off and be distracted by nonsense.” - Michelle M. Pillow

75. “Advice from a Romance Writer: Guys, make your woman feel pretty even on an 'off' day. Trust me, good things will come of it.” - Michelle M. Pillow

76. “Sometimes just looking into a person's eyes can tell a graphic story and a brilliant novel if you have the ability to turn it into words.” - L L Caulton

77. “If you cannot judge a book by its cover, surely we should not judge an author by one book alone?” - E.A. Bucchianeri

78. “You should really stay true to your own style. When I first started writing, everybody said to me, 'Your style just isn't right because you don't use the really flowery language that romances have.' My romances - compared to what's out there - are very strange, very odd, very different. And I think that's one of the reasons they're selling.” - Jude Deveraux

79. “Preserve your own mystery. We live in an age of social media and what seems like extreme sharing of personal details. I would beg to differ that these revelations are not honest truths but more self-branding. Whatever the case, save a little bit, or a lot, for yourself. If you run around naked all the time, when the storm hits, you’ll have no raincoat.” - Susan Kirschbaum

80. “It was a flight, a kind of fleeing, a kind of falling, falling higher and higher, spinning off the edge of the earth and beyond the sun and through the vast silent vacuum where there were no burdens and where everything weighed exactly nothing.” - Tim O'Brien

81. “Life's too short, drive it like ya stole it!” - Debra L. Hartmann

82. “inspiration is not a thing, its every thing, open your eyes and inspiration is everywhere.” - L.L. Caulton

83. “Without a mission and a sense of whom you write for, you aren't worth reading.” - Steve Lopez

84. “Make your problems becomeopportunities instead ofobstacles.” - Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha

85. “A well-developed and versed character will write the story for you.” - A.R. Voss

86. “It is an awesome tragedy in this life that, when asking what a person is and they reply doctor or lawyer or engineer, we don't say "Well thats a nice little hobby, but why don't you take up writing or painting or music?” - D.A. Botta

87. “Writers whose thoughts are expressed with clarity and precision are assumed by readers to be superficial. Where the meaning is obscured, then readers give more attention and consider the fruit of their labour more valuable” - Friedrich Nietzsche

88. “Write the ending first and then you'll know before the opening sentence that it's going to be a good book.” - Richelle E. Goodrich

89. “Writing Cave means it's Coffee O'Clock...Who am I kidding? It's always Coffee O'Clock!” - Tammy-Louise Wilkins

90. “For some reason, when people meet me and find out I'm a writer they always ask if I write children's books. Um... please don't let your kids read my books. Well, unless your kids are in their 30s or something...then yeah, they're old enough. LOL” - Michelle M. Pillow

91. “Sometimes I still feel that there are two of me: one clean, flawless picture, the other imperfect and cracked; one boy, one girl; one voice that speaks aloud and one that whispers in my ear; one publicly known to have been troubled but be on the mend, the other who has privately lost something to do with innocence and gained something to do with knowledge and adulthood that can never be undone. I feel sometimes there are things that tear me in two directions, that there are two sets of thoughts that grow side by side. But then I realize that I am whole, whatever that means and does not mean; I am complete without the need for additions or alteration.” - Abigail Tarttelin

92. “Finally... I'm here...” - K. Hari Kumar

93. “There is a brilliant novel in all of us. Some imagine it…others live it. Authors dwell in an auspicious life by having the ability to fuse the two.” - Carl Henegan

94. “Expression is a function of intention and intention emanates from your thought faculty.” - Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha

95. “Do not wait and hope to be discovered...make yourself so you cannot be denied!” - Jamie McCall

96. “See it, learn it, do it ALL.” - Jamie McCall

97. “Inspirations are priceless & limitless.” - Jay Danzie