Susanna Moore Quotes

I find it both fascinating and disconcerting when I discover yet another person who believes that writing can't be taught. Frankly, I don't understand this point of view.

I never was a big believer that you can teach writing per se.

People say you can't teach writing, but I think that's nonsense.

I never think that any writer can teach someone how to write.

However great a man's natural talent may be, the act of writing cannot be learned all at once.

Every story I write is different. Some are hard. Some aren't. 'Chronicle' was tremendously easy. I have a hard time comparing my process on different things, but I will say this: The more you write, the better you get at it. That's one of the few things that's markedly true.

Good writing of course requires talent, and no one can teach you to have talent.

I'm very happy with the way I write. I think I do it good. But I've never really considered myself a writer.

I think writing is such a great talent, and if I was better, I would love to be a writer.

Most people won't realize that writing is a craft. You have to take your apprenticeship in it like anything else.

It takes practice to do anything unique within this field, period, in writing, practice doing anything unique in writing.

Like most art forms, writing is part instinct and part craft. The craft part is the part that can be taught, and that can make a crucial difference to lots of writers.

Creative writing lessons can be very useful, just like music lessons can be useful. To say, as Hanif Kureishi did, that 99.9% of students are talentless is cruel and wrong. I believe that certain writers like to believe they arrived into the world with special, unteachable powers because it is good for the ego.

You can't teach somebody how to be a good writer.

No one can help you write. No one can teach you how to write.

Writing is a trade ... which is learned by writing.

Writing is like a sport - you only get better if you practice

I think you have to learn for yourself how to write. I'm slightly mystified by creative writing courses - God love them - because I can't understand how you can explain a process that I find so baffling.

I taught writing classes at the University of Pennsylvania for a number of years and I realized that all you can do is encourage people and give them assignments and hope they will write them.

No, you're either born a writer, a storyteller, or you're not.

I have grown in my writing and I care about it now and I know how important it is to write stuff.

I don't understand how you can be a decent writer and not know people.

I think you can be taught to write. You can't be taught to be a good writer. For that, you have to bring something to it, yourself, something that can't be given to you.

Writing is a muscle that needs to be exercised.

I think some aspects of writing can be taught. Obviously, you can't teach vision or talent. But you can help with comfort.