3 Lessons on Writing From Our Forerunners in the Craft

Writers who have gone before us have left many wise lessons for us to follow. Whether from the good or the bad, history is a map to lead us into the future. Without its guidance, we would continue to make the same mistakes and walk the same rocky path as our forerunners did, needlessly. 

This is why I love reading quotes from famous writers. These small doses of insight are what they have learned from their own journey. Whether I agree or disagree with all these bits of insight doesn’t discount how valuable a resource they are for us to take advantage of.  

So today I am bringing three such quotes to this post to explore them a little. 

Start Writing Now

Our first quote is by Louis L’Amour, the American novelist, short story writer, and poet. 

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”

Louis L’Amour

This quote is fundamental to every writer, because we will not feel the ‘muse’ everyday. There will be days with no inspiration, and times when you wait for days–or maybe even months–for the inspiration to come back.

I am guilty of this more times than I could count. 

Louis L’Amour says when the inspiration isn’t there, you should write anyway. For much of the time, inspiration won’t strike until we start putting pen to paper, or fingers to keys. 

 Before water can pour from the spout, we must first turn the faucet’s handle. 

Words often come once you start forming them. It doesn’t have to be good, it can be trash.  But isn’t something better than nothing?

Want to Be a Better Writer? Write

Doris Lessing, a British novelist, poet, playwright, librettist, biographer, and short story writer, says,

“You only learn to be a better writer by actually writing.”

Doris Lessing

Learning by reading stories and how-to material is essential to learning how to write, but without actually writing, you will not get better. 

 Practice is required to be a good writer. 

Just ten minutes a day can yield results. Work on a project you have going on, pick out a prompt, or just write what you see or feel. It doesn’t matter what it is you write, but write. 

Tell Your Story

Lastly, we have a quote from Charles de Lint, a Canadian writer in the forms of novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, and lyrics. He says,  

“Don’t forget—no one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell.”

Charles de Lint

When self-doubt sneaks in to say your story isn’t worth writing, don’t listen to it. It is common knowledge to know there is nothing new that hasn’t been written, but nothing has been written by you. 

Our writing is influenced by our life’s experiences, which means we all have a unique outlook on life. These views are the backbone of what and how we write. 

Your story is your story. It can only be told by you, and it hasn’t been told before. 

Just the Tip

These lessons are only a few I came across while picking these three out. There is so much knowledge to be gleaned from writers before us, and they left it there for us to use. 

Putting these lessons into practice now will save us from having to discover them on our own down the road. They shine light on our path so we don’t need to stumble so much.