Famous quotes by Authors

Authors

This collection gathers quotes from authors across eras and cultures, offering glimpses into creativity, craft, and the human condition. From novelists and poets to essayists and storytellers, their words illuminate how ideas take shape, why language matters, and what it means to observe the world with care. Whether you're looking for a spark of inspiration, a thoughtful perspective, or a memorable turn of phrase, these voices invite reflection and curiosity, encouraging readers and writers alike to linger, consider, and carry wisdom into their own lives.

"The oaths of a woman I inscribe on water"

Sophocles, Author

Sophocles

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves"

Lao Tzu, Author

"Talent in cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work!"

Stephen King, Author

Stephen King

"Everything you add to the truth subtracts from the truth"

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Author

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

"Success is a journey, not a destination"

Ben Sweetland, Author

Ben Sweetland

"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it"

Mark Twain, Author

Mark Twain

"The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool"

Stephen King, Author

Stephen King

"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own"

Ben Sweetland, Author

Ben Sweetland

"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow"

Anthony J. D'Angelo, Author

Anthony J. D'Angelo

"Peace is the virtue of civilization. War is its crime"

Victor Hugo, Author

Victor Hugo

"A war between Europeans is a civil war"

Victor Hugo, Author

Victor Hugo

"It is only when they go wrong that machines remind you how powerful they are"

Clive James, Author

Clive James

"If voting made any difference, they wouldn't let us do it"

Mark Twain, Author

Mark Twain

"There was a great deal of peer recognition to be gained in elementary school by being able to draw well. One girl could draw horses so well, she was looked upon as a kind of sorceress"

Chris Van Allsburg, Author

Chris Van Allsburg

"If civilization had been left in female hands, we would still be living in grass huts"

Camille Paglia, Author

Camille Paglia

"Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success"

Ben Sweetland, Author

Ben Sweetland

"I write for what's left of the eight-year-old still rattling around inside my head"

Chris Van Allsburg, Author

Chris Van Allsburg

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so"

Mark Twain, Author

Mark Twain

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage"

Lao Tzu, Author

"My father always wanted to be the corpse at every funeral, the bride at every wedding and the baby at every christening"

Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Author

Alice Roosevelt Longworth

"If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first"

Mark Twain, Author

Mark Twain

"Following my muse has worked out pretty well so far. I can't see any reason to change the formula now"

Chris Van Allsburg, Author

Chris Van Allsburg

"At first, I see pictures of a story in my mind. Then creating the story comes from asking questions of myself. I guess you might call it the 'what if - what then' approach to writing and illustration"

Chris Van Allsburg, Author

Chris Van Allsburg

"I would prefer even to fail with honor than win by cheating"

Sophocles, Author

Sophocles

"Don't reinvent the wheel, just realign it"

Anthony J. D'Angelo, Author

Anthony J. D'Angelo

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom"

Anais Nin, Author

Anais Nin

"Some artists claim praise is irrelevant in measuring the success of art, but I think it's quite relevant. Besides, it makes me feel great"

Chris Van Allsburg, Author

Chris Van Allsburg

"A horse is dangerous at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle"

Ian Fleming, Author

Ian Fleming

"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race"

H.G. Wells, Author

H.G. Wells

"There is no female Mozart because there is no female Jack the Ripper"

Camille Paglia, Author

Camille Paglia

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