I found that many gifted people are so afraid of writing a poor story that they cannot summon the nerve to write a single sentence for months. The thing to say to such people is: "See how *bad* a story you can write. See how dull you can be. Go ahead. That would be fun and interesting. I will give you ten dollars if you can write something thoroughly dull from beginning to end!" And of course, no one can.

Everybody is original, if he tells the truth, if he speaks from himself. But it must be from his *true* self and not from the self he thinks he *should* be.

Write a true, careless, slovenly impulsive, honest diary every day of your life.

...writing is not a performance but a generosity.

Everybody is talented because everybody who is human has something to express.

...at last I understood that writing was this: an impulse to share with other people a feeling or truth that I myself had.

The best way to know the Truth or Beauty is to try to express it.