Inspirational Writing Quotes for Students, Attributed and Sorted by Use
These writing quotes for students are attributed to the authors who actually said or wrote them, and sorted by the problem they solve: starting, keeping going, and revising. Most come from writers describing their own process, which is why they hold up better than anonymous motivational lines. Where a quote is commonly misattributed, it is noted.
Quotes about starting
The hardest part of writing is the blank page. These lines are about getting the first words down.
“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” — Stephen King, On Writing
“You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.” — Jodi Picoult
“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” — Louis L’Amour
“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” — Toni Morrison
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” — William Wordsworth
Quotes about persistence
Lines for the middle of a draft, when the work stops feeling inspired and starts feeling like work.
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” — Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” — Terry Pratchett
“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” — Richard Bach
“Read, read, read. Read everything.” — William Faulkner
Quotes about revising
Writing is rewriting. These are for students who think a first draft is the finished piece.
“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.” — Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
“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 (widely attributed)
“The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” — Stephen King, On Writing
“Kill your darlings.” — often credited to William Faulkner, but the line traces to Arthur Quiller-Couch, who wrote “Murder your darlings” in On the Art of Writing (1916).
How to use a writing quote
A quote works best when it names a problem the student already has. For a class that freezes at the blank page, “You can’t edit a blank page” gives permission to write badly on purpose. For a class that hands in first drafts, the revision quotes make the point that professionals rewrite. Pin one to the board that matches the stage the class is stuck on, rather than posting a wall of them at once.
If a student is using a quote inside an essay, it needs a signal phrase and a citation, not just quotation marks. See how to introduce a quote and how to start an essay with a quote for the mechanics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who said “you can’t edit a blank page”?
The line is most commonly attributed to novelist Jodi Picoult, though versions of the idea circulate widely.
Did Faulkner say “kill your darlings”?
The phrase is usually credited to him, but it originates with Arthur Quiller-Couch, who wrote “Murder your darlings” in 1916.
What is a good writing quote to start the year?
“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it,” from Toni Morrison, works as a year-opening line.
For more, see quotes about learning, essay quotes, and quotes for students.