The quote library
Frankisms
Short truths, collected over a lifetime of writing and teaching. Read a few, or lose an afternoon.
- Collected
- 1,993
“You will have to feel that previous time as acutely as if you were living in it. You’ll have to pretend that you don’t know anything that has happened since then, or anything that has been invented since then. — James Thom”
writing
“You will take leaps naturally if you follow your thoughts, because the mind spontaneously takes great leaps. — Natalie Goldberg”
writing
“You, the writer, want to be invisible. You don’t want to write flowery prose or use words that distract the reader from becoming immersed in the narrative. — Cheryl St.John”
writing
“Your audience decides when you’ve broken a rule. Just as any utterance can be a sentence, depending on whether the listener hears a sentence, so any utterance can be a mistake. — Robert Pinkert”
writing
“Your character must make a sacrifice or at the very least take a big risk. — Cheryl St.John”
writing
“Your characters should have strong feelings about where they live, work, travel, and play. — Cheryl St.John”
writing
“Your characters’ thoughts shouldn’t sound like you. Developing unique voices for them takes forethought and practice. — Cheryl St.John”
writing
“Your hero is only as heroic as the strength of the villain she overcomes. — Jeff Gerke”
writing
“Your hero should exit the story enlightened, enriched, evolved, and enabled in comparison to how he entered the story. — Larry Brooks”
writing
“Your most important task is to make the reader care. — Cheryl St.John”
writing
“Your reader needs to care deeply before she can be brought to feel deeply. — Eric Edson”
writing
“Your readership is in direct proportion to how much you make your characters struggle to get what they want, and how much you put them at risk. — Carole Bugge”
writing
“Your story people reveal their true selves when they talk, and as writers our mission is to develop these characters into believable people. — Cheryl St.John”
writing
“Your style is your voice, and your voice will create an intimacy with your reader that is profound. — Joe Vitale”
writing
“Your titles don’t have to have the sensationalism of cheap journalism, but why not make them intriguing? Why not let them tease and tantalize and attract? — Roy Sorrels, How to Start Smart”
writing
“We’re losing the knack of separating stories from histories—of understanding the difference between a provocative bit of dreaming and a provocative fact. — Peter Mandel, author”
writing
“A good dramatic nonfiction narrative should have the same elements you’d expect to see in a work of fiction. — Anita Bartholomew”
writing
“Oh that my words were written with an iron pen on a granite tablet so my story could be read forever. — Job 19:23–24”
scripture
“I write honestly from my heart, seeking to make the truth known. — Job 33:3”
scripture
“Let my concepts and writings be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. — Psalm 19:14”
scripture
“While waiting for the Lord, write. Be strong and take heart, and keep writing for the Lord. — Psalm 27:14”
scripture
“My heart overflows with a captivating theme, for my voice is the pen of a skillful writer. — Psalm 45:1”
scripture
“God’s word is a lamp that lights my writing journey. — Psalm 119:105”
scripture
“If God is our helper when we write, the stories we build cannot be in vain. — Psalm 127:1”
scripture
“When I ponder what to write about, I remember the plights of my past and why I now give you praise. Then I reveal your glory by showing how you’ve worked in my life. — Psalm 143:5”
scripture
“The words of deceivers shed innocent blood, but godly writing saves lives. — Proverbs 12:6”
scripture
“Writers rejoice when they can reach their audience with the right words at the right time. — Proverbs 15:23”
scripture
“Writing sprinkled with humor is wonderful medicine, for pleasant words are like honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. — Proverbs 16:24”
scripture
“Commit your writing to the Lord, and your message will touch people’s hearts. — Proverbs 16:3”
scripture
“Writers would like to chart their entire journey to success, but God wants them to take the next right step. — Proverbs 16:9”
scripture
“Writers who develop excellent skills in their work will be admired by their peers and will earn the respect of those they don’t know. — Proverbs 22:29”
scripture
“Without guidance, writers will fail, so blessed are those who carefully follow publishing guidelines. — Proverbs 30:18”
scripture
“Sow your seeds in the morning and keep writing until dark, for then you may reap a great harvest. — Ecclesiastes 11:6”
scripture
“Write your message in an article or a book so it may be an everlasting witness. — Isaiah 30:8”
scripture
“Writers who trust the Lord will find strength in him. They’ll be like eagles with spread wings, soaring on the wind. They’ll be like the runner who has the stamina to finish the race or the hiker who won’t faint when the climbing gets tough. — Isaiah 40:31”
scripture
“When the Lord’s message flows through my pen, it cannot be void of meaning but will always produce results, fulfilling his purpose. It cannot fail. — Isaiah 55:11”
scripture
“In devouring your Word, my joy and delight comes from spreading your message, O God of Heaven’s writers. — Jeremiah 15:16”
scripture
“Beyond fantasies and wishful thinking, let writers publish stories that let readers experience truth. — Jeremiah 23:28”
scripture
“The Lord says, “I know the great things I have in mind for your writing—plans for you to succeed, not fail—so anticipate the future with eager expectation. — Jeremiah 29:11”
scripture
“Publish the pieces you have written, so people can read them. — Ezekiel 37:20”
scripture