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Isaac Asimov Quotes about Writing

All Isaac Asimov Quotes Army Art Atheism Atheist Business Change Children Choices Coincidence Creativity Curiosity Death Democracy Desire Diversity Dying Earth Education Effort Evolution Fear Feelings Fighting Funny Future Giving Heart Heaven History Humanity Ignorance Imagination Insecurity Inspirational Intuition Knowledge Learning Life Literature Love Lying Math Memories Moon Motivational Overpopulation Past Peace Philosophy Prophet Rage Rain Reading Reality Rejection Religion Running School Science Sleep Speed Stupidity Suffering Technology Today Truth Understanding Universe War Winning Wisdom Work Out Writing quotes

Congratulations on the new library, because it isn't just a library. It is a space ship that will take you to the farthest reaches of the Universe, a time machine that will take you to the far past and the far future, a

Congratulations on the new library, because it isn't just a library. It is a space ship that will take you to the farthest reaches of the Universe, a time machine that will take you to the far past and the far future, a teacher that knows more than any human being, a friend that will amuse you and console you-and most of all, a gateway, to a better and happier and more useful life.

Teacher, Congratulations, Writing

The Bible contains legendary, historical, and ethical contents. It is quite possible to consider them separately, and one doesn't have to accept the legends in order to get the ethics. Fundamentalists make a grave mistake to insist on the letter of the writings, because they drive away many who can't swallow the Adam-and-Eve bit.

Mistake, Writing, Order

Isaac Asimov (1995). “Yours, Isaac Asimov: A Lifetime of Letters”, Doubleday Books

If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster.

Life, Writing, Doctors

Life (1984)

The first step in making rabbit stew is catching the rabbit.

Writing, Rabbits, Firsts

I made up my mind long ago to follow one cardinal rule in all my writing-to be clear. I have given up all thought of writing poetically or symbolically or experimentally, or in any of the other modes that might (if I were good enough) get me a Pulitzer prize. I would write merely clearly and in this way establish a warm relationship between myself and my readers, and the professional critics-Well, they can do whatever they wish.

Writing, Long Ago, Mind

"Nemesis". Book by Isaac Asimov. Introduction, 1989.

Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.

Writing, Thinking, Fingers

It is the writer who might catch the imagination of young people, and plant a seed that will flower and come to fruition.

Flower, Writing, Imagination

Isaac Asimov (1987). “Past, Present, and Future”

You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you're working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success - but only if you persist.

Work, Writing, Persistence

Thinking is the activity I love best, and writing to me is simply thinking through my fingers. I can write up to 18 hours a day. Typing 90 words a minute, I've done better than 50 pages a day. Nothing interferes with my concentration. You could put an orgy in my office and I wouldn't look up-well, maybe once.

Writing, Science, Love Is

I made up my mind long ago to follow one cardinal rule in all my writing — to be clear.

Writing, Long Ago, Mind

"Nemesis". Book by Isaac Asimov. Introduction, 1989.

I have never written a book that didn't teach me far more than it taught my reader.

Book, Writing, Taught

It's the writing that teaches you.

Writing, Teach

What I will be remembered for are the Foundation Trilogy and the Three Laws of Robotics. What I want to be remembered for is no one book, or no dozen books. Any single thing I have written can be paralleled or even surpassed by something someone else has done. However, my total corpus for quantity, quality and variety can be duplicated by no one else. That is what I want to be remembered for.

Book, Writing, Law

Isaac Asimov (1995). “Yours, Isaac Asimov: A Lifetime of Letters”, Doubleday Books

Writing is my only interest. Even speaking is an interruption.

Writing, Interest, Interruptions

So, then, what is style? There are two chief aspects of any piece of writing: 1) what you say and 2) how you say it. The former is "content" and the latter is "style."

Writing, Two, Style

Isaac Asimov (1984). “Opus 300”, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Individual science fiction stories may seem as trivial as ever to the blinder critics and philosophers of today - but the core of science fiction, its essence has become crucial to our salvation if we are to be saved at all.

Writing, Essence, Fiction Stories

"My Own View". "The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction". Book edited by Robert Holdstock, 1978.

Until I became a published writer, I remained completely ignorant of books on how to write and courses on the subject ... they would have spoiled my natural style; made me observe caution; would have hedged me with rules.

Book, Writing, Ignorance

Whenever I have endured or accomplished some difficult task -- such as watching television, going out socially or sleeping -- I always look forward to rewarding myself with the small pleasure of getting back to my typewriter and writing something.

Writing, Sleep, Typewriters

From my close observation of writers... they fall into two groups: 1) those who bleed copiously and visibly at any bad review, and 2) those who bleed copiously and secretly at any bad review.

Funny, Fall, Writing

Isaac Asimov (1995). “Gold: the final science fiction collection”, Harper Prism

I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn't, I would die.

Life, Writing, Breathe

Isaac Asimov (1995). “Yours, Isaac Asimov: A Lifetime of Letters”, Doubleday Books

We mythologists know very well that myths and legends contain borrowings, moral lessons, nature cycles, and a hundred other distorting influences, and we labor to cut them away and get to what might be a kernel of truth. In fact, these same techniques must be applied to the most sober histories, for no one writes the clear and apparent truth-if such a thing can even be said to exist.

Writing, Cutting, Lessons

Isaac Asimov (2012). “Foundation and Earth”, p.379, Spectra

Science fiction writers foresee the inevitable, and although problems and catastrophes may be inevitable, solutions are not.

Writing, Science, Fiction

1975 'How Easy To See The Future', in Natural History, Apr.

No one suggests that writing about science will turn the entire world into a model of judgment and creative thought. It will be enough if they spread the knowledge as widely as possible.

Writing, Creative, World

When I sit down at the typewriter, I write. Someone once asked me if I had a fixed routine before I start, like setting up exercises, sharpening pencils, or having a drink of orange juice. I said, "No, the only thing I do before I start writing is to make sure that I'm close enough to the typewriter to reach the keys."

Writing, Exercise, Typewriters

"Biography/Personal Quotes". www.imdb.com.

When I feel difficulty coming on, I switch to another book I'm writing. When I get back to the problem, my unconscious has solved it.

Book, Writing, Problem

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