Harper Lee Quotes

People are born with the knack to write poems and songs. I'm not a poet at all.

I'm really good at writing 'almost hits'.

No, you're either born a writer, a storyteller, or you're not.

Writing can't be taught.

We like to think about how smart we are. But I think talent as a writer is hard-wired in, it's all there, at least the basic elements of it. You can't change it any more than you can choose whether to be right handed or left handed.

If you asked someone, 'Can you play the violin?' and he says, 'I don't know, I have not tried, perhaps I can,' you laugh at him. Whereas about writing, people always say: 'I don't know, I have not tried,' as though one had only to try and one would become a writer.

When talent fails, indignation writes the verse.

Writing is above all a question of instinct.

I believe some people are just too damn smart to write fiction.

I am simply of the opinion that you cannot be taught to write. You have to spend a lifetime in love with words.

Artists are born not made. There's nothing you can do for them.

Writing is a subtle art that is reached mostly by self-discovery and experimentation.

I can't compose or play music; I'm not that fortunate. But I can write and I can talk and sometimes when I'm doing either of these things I realize that I've written a sentence or uttered a thought that I didn't absolutely know I had in me... until I saw it on the page or heard myself say it.

I've always had a great love of music since childhood. It changes every day.. every time you write, it's a new experience. It's a self expression.

I enjoy writing dialogue; it comes naturally to me.

Real seriousness in regard to writing being one of the two absolute necessities. The other, unfortunately, is talent.

Writing needs to be practiced; there is a limit to how much can be gleaned from a teacher or a manual. The true essence of writing is out there, in the world, and inside, within yourself. To write, you have to give.

Good writing isn’t a science. It’s an art, and the horizon is infinite. You can always get better.

I realized Michael was right. I mean, I am always writing in this journal. And I do compose a lot of poetry, and write a lot of notes and emails and stuff. I mean, I feel like I am always writing. I do it so much, I never even thought about it as a talent. It's just something I do all the time, like breathing.

Technical Expertise is composed of all the little and large bits of technique known to the skilled painter, musician, actor, any artist. He adds these things together in his basic presentation. He knows what he is doing. And how to do it. And then to his he adds his message.

The story is always better than your ability to write it.

Most people are much better at saying things in letters than in conversation, and some people can write artistic, inventive letters, but when they try a poem or story or novel they become pretentious.

I do think reading is the best practice for writing, along with writing all the time. I actually never liked writing on my own or in school until I'd had my blog for a while and realized I'd been writing every day for years.

I wrote poetry in middle school and high school and even through college. It was bad. I just don't think I'm very good at writing poetry. I mean, the distillation, I think, is hard for me, but I love poetry.

For the first month of school, writing is its own upper. Pounding on my computer keys feels like playing the piano, like arranging words into harmony that sings back to me.