100 Authors Give Their Best Piece of Writing Advice

Here are the best piece of writing advice from a hundred authors.

As someone hell-bent on becoming a great author, you see yourself not needing anything but your pen and paper to create literary masterpieces.

But the truth is, becoming a successful author takes more than just raw talent and passion.

It also requires guidance from those who’ve been there, struggled, and eventually came out on top.

To say that you seek inspiration from these authors and their advice is quite an understatement, as most of these tips are words of wisdom you’ll bring with you for the rest of your writing career.

So, brace yourself as we give you the best advice from 100 successful authors.

1)”Write what you know.” – Mark Twain

2) “Write every day, even if it’s just for five minutes.” – Aileen Erin

3) “The secret to editing your work is simple: you need to become its reader instead of its writer.” – Zadie Smith

4) “Better to write for yourself and have no public than to write for the public and have no self.” – Cyril Connolly

5) “Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences.” – Sylvia Plath

6) “I believe that basically, you write for two people, yourself, to try and make it absolutely perfect; or if not that, then wonderful. Then you write for who you love whether they can read or write or not and whether they are alive or dead.” – Ernest Hemingway

7) “Find a writing routine that works for you.” – Maya Angelou

8) “Stories may well be lies, but they are good lies that say true things, and which can sometimes pay the rent.” – Neil Gaiman

9) “Write from the heart.” – Toni Morrison

10) “Tomorrow may be hell, but today was a good writing day, and on good writing days, nothing else matters.” – Neil Gaiman

11) “Your words have power, use them wisely.” – Alice Walker

12) “Read your work out loud to catch any mistakes or awkward phrasings.” – George Orwell

13) “Read, read, read. Read everything – trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.” – William Faulkner

14) “Find a balance between showing and telling.” – Anton Chekhov

15) “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” – Thomas Mann

16) “Write for the joy of it, not for fame or fortune.” – Harper Lee

17) “Run your race. Don’t worry about how fast someone else writes, how much another author makes, or how many followers another author has. Write what makes you excited, and the enthusiasm will come through on the page.” – Christina Lauren

18) “Always carry a notebook with you to jot down ideas.” – Stephenie Meyer

19) “Read and write outside of your comfort zone.” – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

20) “Write the story you want to read.” – Ray Bradbury

21) “One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.” – Jack Kerouac

22) “Don’t give up, and don’t lose your stubborn belief that you have a story worth telling.” – Devi S. Laskar

23) “Don’t be afraid to write about difficult or uncomfortable topics.” – Sylvia Plath

24) “Trust your idea, and just start writing. It can seem like a huge task, especially if you have had your work commissioned and there is a relatively fixed deadline, but once you start putting words on the page it will come together, and there is always someone you can ask for a little bit of support.” – Jaime Breitnauer

25) “Edit with a critical eye but also trust your instincts.” – Zadie Smith

26) “Write with passion and purpose.” – Marlon James

27) “Get feedback from people who are not afraid to be honest with you.” – Elizabeth Gilbert

28) “I would advise writers to aim to make the art that is meaningful and amusing to them personally. So much about writing is unknowable, but you (probably) know what you find impactful, novel, and cool. So let that be your guide!” – Scott Kenemore

29) “Learn the rules of writing, then break them when necessary.” – Paulo Coelho

30) “Don’t let rejection discourage you, keep writing.” – Agatha Christie

31) “Write the first draft with your heart, edit with your head.” – William Faulkner

32) “Read books in different genres to expand your writing skills.” – Margaret Mitchell

33) “Don’t be afraid to write from personal experiences.” – Anne Frank

34) “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” – Toni Morrison

35) “Write every day, even if it’s just in your journal.” – Virginia Woolf

36) “How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.” – Henry David Thoreau

37) “Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice from other writers.” – Ernesto Cardenal

38) “Read! Read in your genre, of course, but also read outside it and try to analyze the voices you find most appealing. This will help you, but it will also spur teeth-gnashing and garment-rending at your perceived inadequacies. Or maybe that’s just me.” – Kimmery Martin

39) “Write what you need to write, not what you think others want to read.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

40) “Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly – they’ll go through anything. You read, and you’re pierced.” – Aldous Huxley

41) “Find inspiration in everyday life and observations.” – William Wordsworth

42) “Read your work out loud to see if it flows and sounds natural.” – Jane Austen

43) “Don’t be afraid to write about things that scare you.” – Bram Stoker

44) “Write with empathy and understanding for your characters.” – Toni Cade Bambara

45) “Writer friends are everything! We all know that the act of novel writing is solitary and sometimes lonesome work, but when you crawl out of your cave, it’s so important to have friends there waiting who get it, who are ready to read and cheer you on, and who will send you right back into the cave when you need it.” – Afia Atakora

46) “Find a writing space where you can focus and be creative.” – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

47)”Don’t let writer’s block defeat you, push through it.” – Emily Dickinson

48) “Write with authenticity and honesty.” – James Baldwin

49) “Read books on writing for valuable tips and techniques.” – Ernest Hemingway

50) “Don’t constantly second-guess your writing; trust your instincts.” – Zora Neale Hurston

51) “Write from a place of vulnerability and honesty.” – Khaled Hosseini

52) “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.” – Robert Frost

53) “Write often. I won’t go so far as to say you have to write every day, but I do think you need to make this a part of the texture of your life, something that you do on a regular basis, like a workout schedule.” – Leslie Lutz

54) “Don’t be afraid to take breaks and come back to your writing with fresh eyes.” – Virginia Woolf

55) “Write without fear, knowing that you can always edit later.” – Ray Bradbury

56) “Write something you are passionate about. Your passion will carry you through the ups and downs of the process.” – Bill Higgs

57) “You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” – Ray Bradbury

58) “A successful career in writing typically takes too long to achieve to be writing something you’re not passionate about. Write from your heart, and write what gets you excited to sit at your computer every day.” – Christopher J. Moore

59 “Find a writing mentor or role model to learn from.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

60) “Write in the morning when your mind is fresh and energized.” – Maya Angelou

61) “Don’t be afraid to let your characters surprise you.” – Stephen King

62) “Always carry a book with you, even if it’s just to fill the gaps between writing sessions.” – J.K. Rowling

63) “Write about what matters to you, not what you think will sell.” – Toni Morrison

64) “Read your work out loud to catch any inconsistencies or awkward phrasings.” – Harper Lee

65) “Don’t force yourself to write if you’re feeling uninspired, take a break and come back to it later.” – Sylvia Plath

66) “Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.” – Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

67) “Write with intention and purpose.” – Zora Neale Hurston

68) “Books are hard and take an obscenely long time (even my seven-year-old knows this by now!). But if you find that you can’t stop thinking about a particular book idea, even on your downtime and in your dreams, it’s time to write it.” – Bonnie Tsui

69) “Find a writing buddy or join a writing group. Writing can be lonely, and staying motivated on a long project can be hard. It’s great to have people to hold you accountable.” – Maisy Card

70) “Don’t be afraid to change direction or scrap a project if it’s not working.” – Neil Gaiman

71) “Write with honesty and vulnerability, even if it’s uncomfortable.” – Maya Angelou

72) “Read your work out loud to a trusted friend or writing partner for feedback.” – John Green

73) “Write with purpose, not just to fill the page.” – George Orwell

74) “Words have extraordinary power—their definitions and colloquial meanings, how they evolve, and where they come from. Be deliberate and selective about the words you choose.” – Jess Zafarris

75) “Don’t be afraid to put your unique spin on a story or idea.” – J.K. Rowling

76) “Write with empathy and understanding for all types of characters.” – Toni Cade Bambara

77) “Find a writing routine that works for you, whether it’s early mornings or late at night.” – Maya Angelou

78) “Write what you love, what truly piques your curiosity every day. I’ve met authors who have told me they were sick of the subject matter in their books by the time they came out. I’m so glad I don’t feel this way!” – Haley Shapley

79) “Don’t be afraid to take breaks from writing and seek inspiration from other sources.” – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

80) “You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.” – Saul Bellow

81) “Write from a place of authenticity and emotional truth.” – Khaled Hosseini

82) “Write with the intention of making an impact, not just for personal gain.” – Toni Morrison

83) “Write with empathy and understanding, even for characters you may not personally relate to.” – Toni Cade Bambara

84) “Tears are words that need to be written.” – Paulo Coelho

85) “You can make anything by writing.” – C.S. Lewis

86) “The writer’s life is one filled with creativity, sure, but there are so many other skill sets you need to practice before bringing your books to your readers (or literary agents and publishers). Keep going. Keep writing. Keep learning.” – Kris Spisak

87) “Read books in different formats, such as audiobooks or graphic novels, to explore new ways of storytelling.” – Neil Gaiman

88) “A word after a word after a word is power.” – Margaret Atwood

89) “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it, and the writing will be just as it should be.” – Mark Twain

90) “Don’t let rejection discourage you; keep writing and submitting your work.” – Maya Angelou

91) “Write with a sense of purpose and meaning behind each word.” – Alice Walker

92) “Don’t be afraid to set ambitious goals—and try not to settle for anything less than those goals on days when motivation is scarce.” – Camilla Bruce

93) “The best advice I can offer aspiring authors is to be flexible. Be willing to experiment with new genres. You might find your niche somewhere unexpected.” – Tessa Wegert

94) “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” – Stephen King

95) “We’re all students of the craft, and every book we read is another chance to learn. Read voraciously. And write exactly the kinds of books you like best.” – Mindy Mejia

96) “I always kept two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

97) “We write to taste life twice, in the moment and retrospect.” – Anaïs Nin

98) “Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.” – Franz Kafka

99) “I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” Anne Frank

100) “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” – Benjamin Franklin

The wisdom imparted by some of the most celebrated literary figures guides and inspires every would-be author.

The recurring themes of writing with purpose, embracing vulnerability, seeking diverse perspectives, and persisting through adversity coalesce to form a convincing manifesto for creative expression.