If you ask great writers for advice on improving your own writing, they’ll often say to read the great writers. Well technically, reading tweets of great writers is reading the great writers!
Just like reading articles or books by a favorite writer, tweets are a peek into the mind. And arguably a more real, less edited peek. They share what they’re working on. They share advice, trade secrets, witty one-liners, favorite quotes. They interact with fans. They share what they’re reading. But the best part, even with all their success, they share that they have days where they struggle to produce words just like the rest of us. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to muster the courage to get writing.
To get you started, here are 15 suggestions of writers with must-follow twitter accounts and 15 tweets with great writing advice.
The creator of the best-selling book series in history. Her Harry Potter books have been translated into 80 languages, sold more than 500 million copies worldwide, and produced eight blockbuster films.
I wrote first 2 Potters by hand and typed them on a 10 yr old typewriter. All a writer needs is talent & ink. https://t.co/oK30qfcVZK
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 23, 2016
With over 70 million books in print worldwide, Coben is the #1 New York Times author of thirty novels including Fool Me Once and Tell No One.
Writing Tip Of The Day (and reminder to myself): Write. Just write. Just get it down. You can always fix bad pages. You can't fix NO pages.
— Harlan Coben (@HarlanCoben) March 17, 2016
Coelho’s 26 books have sold more than 65 million copies in at least 59 languages. The Alchemist spent over 300 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list.
#Writing means sharing. It's part of the human condition to want to share things, thoughts, ideas, and opinions
— Paulo Coelho ☮️ (@paulocoelho) February 7, 2016
The author of more than forty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays. The Handmaid’s Tale has not been out of print since it was first published in 1985, selling millions of copies worldwide.
If you are writing things you are a writer. https://t.co/LBj1ttY8FU
— Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) May 21, 2018
Marketer, entrepreneur, and media strategist, Holiday has is also the bestsellering author of The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, The Daily Stoic, Perennial Seller, and Conspiracy.
Writers: forget headlines, forget hooks, focus on quality articles. Until you can do that with your eyes closed, nothing else matters.
— Ryan Holiday (@RyanHoliday) January 12, 2015
One of the best-selling authors in history with over 400-million books sold. Stine has written hundreds of horror fiction novels, most famously penning the Goosebumps series.
Yes. I outline every book. I always know the ending before I write the book. https://t.co/cLMoVq0Fe7
— R.L. Stine (@RL_Stine) August 24, 2016
Related: 24 Things That Only Writers Know (From Writers)
The “writer who draws,” Kleon is the New York Times bestselling author of three illustrated books: Steal Like An Artist, Newspaper Blackout, and Show Your Work!
Some of the worst writing I ever produced was written in the hopes of being a serious “Writer.”
— Austin Kleon (@austinkleon) February 22, 2018
Strauss is a seven-time New York Times best-selling author and international celebrity after he went undercover in a secret society of pickup artists for two years to write The Game and Rules of the Game, both appearing at #1 on Amazon.
So many people think that they’re getting smarter by reading non-fiction books. Yet literature opens your mind most: Our mind is wired to learn through metaphor, not bulleted lists. https://t.co/kJFLRBip84 #SummerReading
— Neil Strauss (@neilstrauss) July 15, 2018
Related: Famous Writers Pick The Best Books on Writing and the Writing Process
Five-time international bestselling author of The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law, and Mastery. He recently released his sixth book, The Laws Of Human Nature, which uncovers human drive and motivation.
Understand: you are one of a kind. Your character traits are a kind of chemical mix that will never be repeated in history. There are ideas unique to you, a specific rhythm and perspective that are your strengths, not your weaknesses. You must not be afraid of your uniqueness
— Robert Greene (@RobertGreene) August 22, 2018
Her debut book, Seraphina, was an instant New York Time’s bestseller.
Writing is never wasted. And I'm not just saying this because I have whole books of material that never made it into my books.
I just mean, we don't look at all the time a musician spent playing scales and think, "Well that was a waste."
— Telltale Hartman (@_rachelhartman) January 21, 2018
She is the author of seven books, including The Orchid Thief, which was made into the Academy Award–winning film Adaptation, starring Nicholas Cage and considered one of the best movies about the writer’s life.
For me, writing is really just learning about things that interest me, and then trying to convince you to find them as interesting as I do.
— Susan Orlean (@susanorlean) February 14, 2018
A writer of essayistic books that have been described as a ‘philosophy of everyday life,’ Botton has penned over 30 best-selling books, including The Course Of Love.
We get down to work when the fear of doing something rather badly is overwhelmed by the greater (better) fear of doing nothing at all.
— Alain de Botton (@alaindebotton) December 27, 2016
Related: Use Your Writing Fears As Fuel: Seven Lessons From Ralph Keyes, Author of The Courage to Write
The king of horror and author of one of the craft’s go-to books On Writing, King has published over 50 novels and 200 short stories. His work has been adapted into a number of successful Hollywood films, including the iconic The Shawshank Redemption
When writing narrative prose, you must never start a paragraph with the phrase "Little did I know." I'm not much on "Meanwhile," either.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) May 15, 2015
Pullman is the author of several bestselling books, including the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials, which starts with The Golden Compass—called a “Top 100 Book of All Time” by Newsweek.
People who would like to write think they need inspiration, but habit has written far more books than inspiration has.
— Philip Pullman (@PhilipPullman) July 21, 2017
Hollywood writer and producer turned Fantasy writer, Martin is the creator of A Song of Ice and Fire, one of the most popular book series of today, adapted into the critically acclaimed HBO television series Game of Thrones.
Writing one page a day keeps the White Walkers away!
— George RR Martin (@GRRM) September 12, 2014
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