Writing Analytics

Kurt Vonnegut on Writing

Get inspired by the world's best writers.
Quotes illustration
“Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal character or advance the action.”
#184
Kurt Vonnegut

More from Kurt Vonnegut

“We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.”
#206
Kurt Vonnegut
“I'm simply interested in what is going to happen next.”
#364
Kurt Vonnegut
“Somebody gets into trouble, then gets out of it again. People love that story. They never get tired of it.”
#367
Kurt Vonnegut
“Write to please just one person.”
#430
Kurt Vonnegut
“Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them in order that the reader may see what they are made of.”
#431
Kurt Vonnegut
Back to All Quotes
The Ultimate Productivity Tool for Writers
Writing software that keeps you accountable and motivated to keep going.
Learn More
Background illustration
Focus Saved In my younger and more vulnerable years years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” He didn’t say any more, but we’ve always been unusually communicative in a reserved way, and I understood that he meant a great deal more than that. In consequence, I’m inclined to reserve all judgements, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores. | The Great Gatsby Chapter I Words 106 Writing Time 00:18:20 / 00:30:00 Speed 342 words/hour
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” He didn’t say any more, but we’ve always been unusually communicative in a reserved way, and I understood that he meant a great deal more than that. In consequence, I’m inclined to reserve all judgements, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores. | The Great Gatsby 12:46:32 Chapter I 106 W 00:18:20