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Don't just plan to write - write. It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style.
P. D. James
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Taking action is essential for developing skills and personal style.

P. D. James emphasizes the importance of taking action in the writing process instead of merely planning or dreaming about it. By actively writing, individuals not only create content but also discover and refine their unique voice and style as writers, making the act of writing an essential component of personal and professional growth.

Themes

WritingStyleActionDevelopmentPractice

In practice

Example use cases

In a writing workshop, a facilitator might say, 'Remember, as P. D. James said, don't just plan to write - write!'

More from P. D. James

Every island to a child is a treasure island.
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If from infancy you treat children as gods, they are liable in adulthood to act as devils.
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I believe that political correctness can be a form of linguistic fascism, and it sends shivers down the spine of my generation who went to war against fascism.
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What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give.
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Open your mind to new experiences, particularly to the study of other Β­people. Nothing that happens to a writer – however happy, however tragic – is ever wasted.
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It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.
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