Olive Schreiner Quotes

The elegance and the quality - the talent is always in the literature. I start with the word and I base everything on that. It doesn't make any difference to me.

When you are a writer, the assist-to-turnover ratio... there are a lot more turnovers than assists.

Writing is the beast unto itself.

I've always thought of writing as sort of active communication.

I can still put down some pretty nasty stuff on paper, which is what I enjoy doing.

How can I impress strangers with the gem-like flame of my literary passion if it's a digital slate I'm carrying around, trying not to get it all thumbprinty?

Writing has been handed to me on a plate.

I was a housewife, so I learned to write in times off, and I don't think I ever gave it up, though there were times when I was very discouraged because I began to see that the stories I was writing were not very good, that I had a lot to learn, and that it was a much, much harder job than I had expected.

As an observer, I'm analysing my reactions, I guess, and my thinking; but about the process of writing... I am not very talented at talking about what I do as a writer.

I just believe that young people need to be able to learn how to write in their own voice. Just like a musician, you pride yourself on having your own distinct sound.

Read and write with a sensitive ear. The craft of writing is very important. Practice the craft.

All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.

Writing is my primary way of expressing myself.

I'm not a born writer, and I don't enjoy writing.

When asked, 'How do you write?' I invariably answer, 'one word at a time.'

Somebody said writing is easy, you just sit down at your typewriter and open a vein. It depends on the book. Some, I have to do quite a lot of research, which I like. Others are much closer to me.

I thought I could write. So it was my intention to start off as a writer. But I wasn't really great at delivering the word at the end of the day.

I have grown in my writing and I care about it now and I know how important it is to write stuff.

I think writing is such a great talent, and if I was better, I would love to be a writer.

I wanted to write.

Ultimately, it's about the quality of the writing whatever style you are writing.

The style of an author should be the image of his mind, but the choice and command of language is the fruit of exercise.

The real trouble with the writing game is that no general rule can be worked out for uniform guidance, and this applies to sales as well as to writing.

I love to write. It's my first love.

I work at the sentences. Many of the things people find distinctive about my writing, I think of as natural.