I write a lot of material that I know I’ll throw away…. I have to write hundreds of pages before I get to page one. - Barbara Kingsolver

Making sure that the geography and timelines work is always the hardest part of writing. But you owe it to the readers to get it right. - Michael Scott

Write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best you can. I’m not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter. - Neil Gaiman

The secret to editing your work is simple: you need to become its reader instead of its writer. - Zadie Smith

It’s hard to take someone seriously when they leave a note saying ‘your ugly.’ My ugly what? The idiot didn’t even know the difference between your and you’re. - Cara Lynn Shultz

Once I came to really understand the mechanics of three-act structure, my life got a great deal easier. It doesn’t tell you how to write your book, but it helps you understand why things aren’t working, or what kind of beat needs to come next. - Marcus Sakey

The Ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy evil forever, but the hearts of men are easily corrupted. And the ring of power has a will of its own. It betrayed Isildur, to his death. And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge. Until, when chance came, the ring ensnared a new bearer. - Galadriel, The Lord of the Rings

“You still blush too easily when confronted,” Jasnah noted.“I’m sorry.”“And apologize too easily as well.”“I’m… uh, indignant?”- The Stormlight Archive

Peter did not feel very brave; indeed, he felt he was going to be sick. But that made no difference to what he had to do. - C.S. Lewis; The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

The remedy is to abandon the larger for the smaller… to do the small thing closely and deeply rather than the big thing loosely and superficially. - Colson Whitehead

Incomprehensible jargon is the hallmark of a profession. - Kingman Brewster

Caterpillar: Who are you?Alice: I hardly know, sir. Just at present - at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.- Alice in Wonderland

Your podcast content should not be about you, but about solving your prospects’ problems. - Steve Lubetkin

I meet people on the street or at book signings and they tend to treat me as if they know me, as if we’re connected. It’s great. - Judy Blume

You may be able to take a break from writing, but you won’t be able to take a break from being a writer. - Steven Leigh

Getting published is really exciting, but it’s not the point of writing. The actual writing is what it’s all about - the daily joy in sitting down to a blank page and crafting something beautiful or funny or heartwrenching or even just blah (depending on the day). - Bridget McNulty

Start telling the stories that only you can tell. - Neil Gaiman

I learned long ago, never wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it. - George Bernard Shaw

Gollum: We wants it. We needs it. Must have the precious. They stole it from us. Sneaky little Hobbitses. Wicked. Tricksy. False!Smeagol: No. Not master.Gollum: Yes, precious. False. They will cheat you, hurt you, LIE.Smeagol: Master's my friend!Gollum: You don't have any friends. Nobody likes you!Smeagol: Not listening, I'm not listening.Gollum: You're a liar and a thief.Smeagol: No.Gollum: Mur-der-er.Smeagol: Go away!- The Lord of the Rings

BELLE: Who's there? Who are you?BEAST: The master of this castle.BELLE: I've come for my father. Please let him out! Can't you see he's sick?BEAST: Then he shouldn't have trespassed here.BELLE: But he could die. Please, I'll do anything!BEAST: There's nothing you can do. He's my prisoner.BELLE: Oh, there must be some way I can...wait! Take me, instead!BEAST: You! You would take his place?BELLE: If I did, would you let him go?BEAST: Yes, but you must promise to stay here forever.- Beauty and the Beast