Who knew writing was hard? Creating Annetarsia Knits was one of the most rewarding and challenging projects of my life. Here are some of the things I learned about writing along the way.
- It is easier to edit than write, so get something written and make it better, later.
- The first draft of everything is shit. – Ernest Hemingway
- If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy. – Dorothy Parker
- I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide. — Harper Lee
- You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. ― Jack London
- Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout with some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand. — George Orwell
- There are three rules for writing a novel (substitute “knitting pattern”). Unfortunately, no one knows what they are. ― W. Somerset Maugham
- Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong. – Neil Gaiman
- Get through a draft as quickly as possible…Have the courage to write badly. – Joshua Wolf Shenk
- 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
- Start telling the stories that only you can tell, because there’ll always be better writers than you and there’ll always be smarter writers than you. There will always be people who are much better at doing this or doing that — but you are the only you. ― Neil Gaiman
- Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative. – Oscar Wilde
- Don’t just plan to write—write. It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style. – PD James
- Hone your outline and then cling to it as a lifeline. – Bill Wasik
- The way to write a book is to actually write a book. A pen is useful, typing is also good. Keep putting words on the page. – Anne Enright
- “…the number one reason knitters knit is because they are so smart that they need knitting to make boring things interesting. – @yarnharlot
