Fun Writer's Mugs with Famous Quotes About Writing

The following quotes are about writing rather than reading or other activities a writer may engage in and enjoy.

It’s one of her best-known poems. If your writer friend writes poetry rather than prose, he or she may enjoy this quote. There’s a tension of opposites in this poem that I find fascinating. Poetry creates many doors and windows, and yet, from the exterior, only the “fairest” visitors are allowed. The house of poetry is strong and real as the cedars and yet it’s open to the ethereal sky and “impregnable of eye.” She’s confined to a private space of expression by dint of being a woman and by choice (she was an introvert and a recluse), and yet she doesn’t feel confined because her poetry lets her soar.

"Dwelling in possibility" suggests that we can all find places of creative freedom in lives confined by roles and responsibilities.

Writers love to address these “riddles of God,” and the best of them, even as they suggest some “solutions,” will amplify the mystery of existence for their readers, answering some of their questions about human nature and the world we live in while also opening up many others.

I found this quote by Virgil the other day, and I really like the sound of it. I believe that the majority of people need something to pull them through life. For some folks, it’s pleasures like “wine, women, and song.” For others, it’s something they aspire to and work hard to achieve; they may be dragged on by more than just a pleasure or another. But if they are following a vocation like writing, chances are they will enjoy a greater degree of pleasure or joy. All the time? No. Writers may tell you that sometimes they're not in the mood for it, and yet they feel compelled to plow on by an idea they develop, a character they're thinking about, or the prospect of getting paid for their writing. And yet, when they keep working at writing, and get better at it, every once in a while they will get a new spark of inspiration. That is one of the pleasures of writing. There are many other pleasures writers will mention: spending time exploring their ideas and their characters, creating something out of nothing that others will enjoy or benefit from, learning more about the craft of writing as they practice it. So yes, writing is not only about pleasure, but pleasure is a necessary ingredient in writing.

That said, I thought I'd continue with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, which says, "The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well."

The truth is that people write for many reasons: to make a difference, to inspire others, to make art they believe has some worth, to earn money from an occupation that gives them more pleasure and inspires them more than other jobs, to express themselves creatively, to escape in a world they can create themselves, and so on.

Just like happiness, inspiration comes not when you wait for it, but when you actively engage your mental and emotional energies in writing or some other work, or, alternatively, when you take an active break from work: reading, meeting people, and so on. Often, it helps to change the scene as well, so heading to the beach, or hiking on flower- or snow-covered, sun-dappled hills, or going away on a mini-vacation is all you need to get your inspiration flowing again.