How Reading Quotes Makes You A Better Writer

Do you love collecting quotes? In this post we look at how reading quotes makes you a better writer.

We all love reading quotes. Did you know that just doing that already helps you become a better writer? In this article, we will show you how.

How Reading Quotes Makes You A Better Writer

All writers love quotes. We read them, cherish them, and learn them by heart. We post them on social media, collect them as postcards, and the most beautiful ones we stick on our walls. Sound familiar?

What is it about those quotes? What makes them so attractive? And how does reading quotes make us better writers? Let’s start with the basics.

What Is A Quote?

A literary quote is a nugget of wisdom from a book, a poem, or any other written text. It summarizes a thought somehow dear to us. We admire (sometimes even envy) the writer of this quote for having written it. Quotes can appeal to us for many different reasons.

What’s The Magic Of A Good Quote?

Now we’re getting closer. We need to find out what separates the sentences from quotes. Quotes stand out from the rest of a book because of one or all of the following things:

1. Topic
2. Style
3. Rhythm or musical quality
4. Brevity
5. Density
6. The perfect balance of all of the above.

In short, the perfect quote summarizes a perfect thought in a perfect way. Note that ‘perfect’ can mean different things to different readers. Just try researching ‘the most popular quote of all time’ on the internet. You will get about 1.2 billion results with just as many ‘number one’ quotes. And they’re all different! No, you need to find your perfect quote all by yourself.

Let’s go back to the way quotes work their magic. All of the above qualities enable these nuggets of wisdom to sink into our brains. We think about them, we keep going back to them, we turn them this way or that way, and even discover new meanings. These quotes become part of us. Why do we let them? What’s the benefit?

What Can A Quote Do For You?

Reading quotes gives us pleasure, that’s obvious. We don’t read them for controversy. In that sense, a good quote reinforces our own value system. It tells us who we are and where we stand. But there’s more.

1. Quotes inspire us. We admire authors of our cherished quotes for what they tell us and for finding a clever turn of phrase to say that just right. If only we could write like them!
2. Quotes offer wisdom. Perfect quotes are like diamonds. A profound truth has been distilled and compressed so much that the shiny diamond emerges. As writers, we know how hard that is. By reading that quote several times, we discover new nuances, leading to new meanings.
3. Quotes improve our mood. They’re an instant remedy for problems. We usually read them when we need answers. And fast. We don’t have time to read the whole library. But a few quotes…that’s entirely doable. At the same time, we need our values reinforced and our confidence strengthened. It’s this combination that lifts our mood.
4. Quotes are easy to remember. Because of their brevity, quotes are easy to remember. Their literary characteristics help make them mnemonic devices. Brevity is one of them, but not the only one. The whole phrasing is important. Need proof? One of the most common quotes writers use is ‘Kill your darlings,’ meaning that often you need to delete what you hang on to the most to finish writing your text. This quote has been remembered and even adapted by generations of writers. There are so many variations that hardly anyone remembers the original source. Interestingly, the source seems to be ‘Murder your Darlings’ (Arthur Quiller-Couch). Why was the original quote changed? It couldn’t have been semantics; these quotes mean the same. Probably the original rhythm just wasn’t mnemonic enough.
5. Quotes make us learn things without effort. Just do the math: how often have you read your favourite book of fiction and/or writing theory? Maybe more than once. But how often have you read or just remembered your favourite quotes? I dare say, the quotes win. They’re short, easy to remember, and a symbol of what is dear to you. And that’s why good quotes are with us, all the time. Learning from quotes is so easy, I call it ‘learning by osmosis.’
6. Quotes Make Us Learn By ‘Osmosis’. Quotes work on a subconscious level. It’s almost like a chemical reaction. At first, the wisdom is just in the quotes. But by continuously surrounding ourselves with it (easier with quotes than with books), we take it in frequently, until it becomes part of our brain.  It’s that repetition that’s such a crucial factor in the learning process. It makes you learn without noticing that you learn. That’s the ‘osmosis’ I mean. Let’s look at how you can reinforce that.

How Quotes Can Make Us Better Writers

Many benefits we can get from reading quotes are no different from the benefits of reading in general. However, the one unbeatable advantage that quotes have over other texts: they’re short. And this makes them ideal opportunities for your growth as a writer. The next time you are drawn to a quote, you could do the following things:

1. Find out why a quote appeals to you. Is it the style? The topic? What makes this quote so special? Go through your favourite books (fiction or non-fiction). Do they have any sentences that are meaningful quotes? What makes them stand out from the rest of the text?
2. Imitate the master. Try to rewrite a quote in your own words. You can start by using synonyms for each of the original words. Do you discover new layers of meaning as you exchange the words? How does the meaning change once you put in synonyms? In the end, paraphrase the quote more freely. This process will let you appreciate the literary qualities of the quote, as well as practice your skills as a writer.
3. Use the quote as a prompt. Let a quote inspire you to a story or a poem. You don’t need to incorporate the quote, but you can. Need an example to get you going? How about this classic quote from Albert Einstein: ‘Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.’ How about you give a story about a man whose brain can make him teleport? See what I mean? Choose one of your cherished quotes for this exercise.
4. Collect quotes intentionally. Maybe use that fancy notebook you’ve been saving for a special occasion. Store quotes on your phone so you can read them wherever you go. Start a file on your computer where you can even organize quotes by topic. That way, you’re guaranteed to find the perfect quote when you need it.

The Last Word

I hope you find quotes as much fun as I do. In case you need a few examples to get you going, you’ve already come to the right website! Writers Write has collections of quotes on just about anything. Here are some of them:

1. 50 Motivational Quotes On Writing
2. The 43 Best Quotes On Imagination
3. The 30 Best Quotes On Books And Reading

By Susanne Bennett

Susanne  is a German-American writer who is a journalist by trade and a writer by heart. After years of working at German public radio and an online news portal, she has decided to accept challenges by Deadlines for Writers. Currently she is writing her first novel with them. She is known for overweight purses and carrying a novel everywhere. Follow her on Facebook.

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