13 quotations that describe the writer’s craft

See whether you relate to these wordsmiths’ observations about creating and publishing their works.

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Most of my favorite authors have not written anything new in hundreds of years.

The Brontes, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, Edith Wharton, George Eliot—who all wrote in the 19th to early 20th century—have a combined body of work. Because nothing new will be added to that body of work, I must be content with reading their works over and over again.

On Oct. 19, something wondrous is happening. My favorite living author, Philip Pullman, is releasing “The Book of Dust,” a new installment in the His Dark Materials series.

A new book from an author I adore—this must have been what it was like when Charles Dickens published the next chapter of a story in “All the Year Round” or when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle released a new Sherlock Holmes mystery.

In honor of Pullman and his upcoming release, here are quotations about writing to inspire you:

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