Five Great Quotes about the Business of Writing

“Coleridge was a drug addict. Poe was an alcoholic. Marlowe was killed by a man whom he was treacherously trying to stab. Pope took money to keep a woman’s name out of a satire then wrote a piece so that she could still be recognized anyhow. Chatterton killed himself. Byron was accused of incest. Do you still want to a writer – and if so, why?” – Bennett Cerf

“There’s no money in poetry, but then there’s no poetry in money either.” – Robert Graves

“Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must be cantankerous and objectionable in order to be bright; that ego is paramount over skill; that one can rise to a level from which one can tell the reader to go to hell. These myths, if believed, can ruin you. If you believe you can make a living as a writer, you already have enough ego.” – David Brin

“Writing is not a genteel profession; it’s quite nasty and tough and kind of dirty.” – Rosemary Mahoney

“Almost anyone can be an author; the business is to collect money and fame from this state of being.” – A. A. Milne

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