thoughts on writing
We are writers, and we never ask one another where we get our ideas; we know we don’t know.
Stephen King • On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft (A Memoir of the Craft (Reissue))
I don’t write to simply generate a 1,200 word output. I consider writing to be an extension of my curiosity, and the writing process itself is what turns a rough idea into a finished product. [...] Writing is a metamorphosis that turns vague abstractions into novel ideas, but you have to go through the writing process to connect the various points... See more
Thomas Klaffke • From Chasing Goals To Falling In Love With The Process
My product won’t write sentences for you. The slow process of writing is what clarifies thought, shapes identity, and cultivates a lens to the world. Writing is the whole point; it isn’t a chore to optimize, it’s an infinite game.
Michael Dean • Mega-Update
well-arranged words rearrange reality.
Visakan Veerasamy • Tweet
“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.”
—Terry Pratchett

Prioritize the whole rather than the parts : when it comes to writing, often we want to share more than would benefit the piece. In my final edits, I often delete factoids and quotations that interest me but detract from my overall message. As I tell my students, good writing is good editing. Take out all the bits that don’t benefit the whole.
3 of Seneca's Metaphors for Taking Notes
“You have to finish things — that’s what you learn from, you learn by finishing things.”
James Clear • 3-2-1: How to stick to a new habit, how to handle criticism, and 4 types of wealth
Neil Gaiman has two rules when he sits down to write:1. He doesn't have to write anything if he doesn't feel like it.2. He can't leave or do anything else until the writing time he set aside is over.(This comes from his appearance on the Tim Ferriss podcast - it's worth a listen.)