„I learned to write by reading the kind of books I wished I'd written.“

„It is a general observation that people write as they read. As a rule, careful writers are careful readers and vice versa. A careful writer wants to be read carefully. He cannot know what it means to be read carefully but by having done careful reading himself. Reading precedes writing. We read before we write. We learn to write by reading. A man learns to write well by reading well good books, by reading most carefully books which are most carefully written.“

—  Leo Strauss, книга Persecution and the Art of Writing

Источник: Persecution and the Art of Writing (1952), How to Study Spinoza's Theologico-Political Treatise, p. 144

„I wish I could write a book that will be read for as long as our civilization lasts…“

—  George Soros Hungarian-American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist 1930

As quoted in The Winning Investment Habits of Warren Buffett & George Soros (2006) by Mark Tier, p. 219
Контексте: I wish I could write a book that will be read for as long as our civilization lasts... I would value it much more highly than any business success if I could contribute to an understanding of the world in which we live or, better yet, if I could help to preserve the economic and political system that has allowed me to flourish as a participant.

„When I read, it is not acted literature; but what I write is written acting.“

—  Karl Kraus Czech playwright and publicist 1874 - 1936

Half-Truths and One-And-A-Half Truths (1976)

„I've always tried to write the kind of book I most loved to read: character-centered adventure.“

—  Lois McMaster Bujold Science Fiction and fantasy author from the USA 1949

"'A Conversation With Lois McMaster Bujold", p. 60
The Vorkosigan Companion (2008)

„I don't write a book so that it will be the final word; I write a book so that other books are possible, not necessarily written by me.“

—  Michel Foucault French philosopher 1926 - 1984

„I went to college, but I learned to write by reading and writing.“

—  Daniel Pinkwater writer 1941

„Indeed, learning to write may be part of learning to read. For all I know, writing comes out of a superior devotion to reading.“

—  Eudora Welty American author 1909 - 2001

Источник: On Writing

„Even those who write against fame wish for the fame of having written well, and those who read their works desire the fame of having read them.“

—  Blaise Pascal French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and Christian philosopher 1623 - 1662

„So I sat down and made a list of everything I felt I should know more about. Astrophysics, oceanography, marine biology, genetics… Then when I'd finished the list I read one book in each of these areas. When I'd finished I went back and read a second book until I'd read ten books in each area. I thought that it wouldn't turn me into a terrific, fantastic expert but I'd at least have enough material there to know if I was saying something wrong.“

—  Roger Zelazny American speculative fiction writer 1937 - 1995

Phlogiston interview (1995)
Контексте: When I started writing my first novel,... And Call Me Conrad, they always say: "Write about what you know" and I said "Well, if I get a nice sort of combination SF and Fantasy with these resonances from Greek Mythology it might be pretty good. It would also give me a chance to start filling in my background on all those things I don't know much about but should if I want to be an SF writer."
So I sat down and made a list of everything I felt I should know more about. Astrophysics, oceanography, marine biology, genetics... Then when I'd finished the list I read one book in each of these areas. When I'd finished I went back and read a second book until I'd read ten books in each area. I thought that it wouldn't turn me into a terrific, fantastic expert but I'd at least have enough material there to know if I was saying something wrong. And I'd also know where to turn to get the information I want to make it right.
While I was doing this, to keep the words and cheques flowing I wrote books involving mythology. And once I started picking up things involving astrophysics I'd write stories that played with those sorts of things. So that's why I started out with mythology.

„I've developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by far, than I learned anything useful from, except, of course, that some very tedious gentlemen have written books.“

—  Marilynne Robinson, Gilead

Источник: Gilead

„It was a subtle refinement of God to learn Greek when he wished to write a book – and that he did not learn it better.“

—  Friedrich Nietzsche German philosopher, poet, composer, cultural critic, and classical philologist 1844 - 1900

„If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.“

—  Toni Morrison American writer 1931 - 2019

„In old days books were written by men of letters and read by the public. Nowadays books are written by the public and read by nobody.“

—  Oscar Wilde Irish writer and poet 1854 - 1900

A Few Maxims for the Instruction of the Over-Educated (1894)

„If I were a better artist, I'd be a painter, and if I were a better writer, I'd write books — but I'm not, so I draw cartoons!“

—  Charles M. Schulz American cartoonist 1922 - 2000

1992, as quoted by Tom Tomorrow in his comic strip This Modern World (21 February 2000) http://archive.salon.com/comics/tomo/2000/02/21/tomo/index.html

„He made me think of all the books I hadn't read, and all the ones I'd read but hadn't fully understood.“

—  Tom Perrotta American novelist and screenwriter 1961

Источник: Joe College

„As it was, I couldn't escape the feeling that I was out of my element. I found myself thinking of a book I'd left half-read at home and wishing I'd stuck it in my purse so I could pull it out now.“

—  Charlaine Harris American writer 1951

Источник: Last Scene Alive

„If I heeded all the advice I've had over the years, I'd have written 18 books about Rincewind.“

—  Terry Pratchett English author 1948 - 2015

Usenet

„I am too fond of reading books to care to write them.“

—  Oscar Wilde, книга Портрет Дориана Грея

Источник: The Picture of Dorian Gray

„Lately, I feel like my life is a book written in a language I don't know how to read.“

—  Brandon Sanderson American fantasy writer 1975

Источник: The Hero of Ages