“Don’t say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream.”
Mark Twain
Line Editing
“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is . . . the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
"As to the Adjective: When in doubt, strike it out."
Mark Twain
Copyediting
“What is the most difficult thing about writing a book? You can’t be creative and critical at the same time. It is crucial to get a first draft on paper before editing or criticizing yourself.”