With over 200 million copies of his books sold, Dan Brown is one of the world’s most successful writers. In this article, we will explore his thoughts and advice on writing through his quotes. He offers valuable advice on:
- How to avoid writer’s block
- How to find ideas and inspiration
- His philosophy for writing bestsellers
If you want to learn how to write from Dan Brown, check out his writing course on MasterClass. Learn more about MasterClass courses here.
If you want to learn more about Dan Brown, check out his quick biography.
Quotes on Where to Get Ideas and Inspiration
1. I am constantly amazed how much “secret” information is readily available out there if one knows where to dig. – Book Browse Interview
2. I like to use the Web as an inspirational tool to get ideas and then when you actually go to do your research get your actual information elsewhere. It’s important for authors to use the Web responsibly. More than half the information out there is garbage. -Writers Write Interview
3. I very seldom read fiction. Because my novels require so much research, almost everything I read is non-fiction-histories, biographies, translations of ancient texts. – Book Browse Interview
4. I keep an antique hour glass on my desk and every hour break briefly to do pushups, sit-ups, and some quick stretches. I find this helps keep the blood (and ideas) flowing. I’m also a big fan of gravity boots. Hanging upside down seems to help me solve plot challenges by shifting my entire perspective. – Book Browse Interview
Quotes on Inspiration to Keep Writing
5. Writing about clandestine material keeps me engaged in the project. Because a novel can take upwards of a year to write, I need to be constantly learning as I write, or I lose interest. – Book Browse Interview
6. The toughest part was believing in the story even when things were going badly…forcing myself to spend 5-8 hours a day on the manuscript even when I wasn’t positive I could make it work. I did make it work, and I’m glad I stuck with it. I estimate I wrote over 1000 pages to end up with this 350 page novel. -Writers Write Interview
Quotes on How to Write Consistently and Avoid Writer’s Block
7. I write all seven days. I wake up at 4 a.m. and write till 10 or 11 in the morning. I write very slowly. For every one page in a book, there are 10 that I threw out. – Readers Digest Interview
8. If I’m not at my desk by 4:00 A.M., I feel like I’m missing my most productive hours. – Book Browse Interview
9. When I’m in writing mode I’m in writing mode and I just pull the shades and live a very simple life. – Publishing Perspectives Interview
10. As far as the writing process is concerned I still face a blank piece of paper every day. The characters don’t care how many books I’ve sold – Publishing Perspectives Interview
11. When I started The Lost Symbol after The Da Vinci Code there were a couple of months when I became very self-aware and thought ‘the next sentence I write a whole lot of people are going to read,’ and that was a little bit awkward for a month or two. Then I realized that I just have to do what I did before, which is write the book that I would want to read and suddenly it was good and I was able to write freely.” – Publishing Perspectives Interview
12. The best possible thing I can do for my readers, and for the book business, is to write, and if I get caught up going to book fairs and interviews and all that, I don’t write as well and I don’t write as quickly. – Publishing Perspectives Interview
Quotes on How To Write a Bestseller
13. I really just write the book that I would want to read. – MTPR Interview
14. I personally enjoy reading about characters that have exceptional talents like code-breaking or multiple language skills. We run into boring people all day long, so why not read about some interesting ones. -Writers Write Interview
15. In any novel, you would hope that the hero has someone to push back against. I find the most interesting villains are those who do the right things for the wrong reasons, or the wrong things for the right reasons. – MTPR Interview
16. My goal is always to make the character’s and plot be so engaging that readers don’t realize how much they are learning along the way. – Book Browse Interview
17. I’m trying to write books that taste like ice cream but have the nutrition of vegetables. – CBS News Interview
18. Write a commercial manuscript. This does not mean selling or writing a spy novel. Bridges of Madison County and Cold Mountain were both “commercial novels.” -Writers Write Interview
19. The choice of setting is critical. For example, if you’re writing a love story, don’t set the story in the middle of a parking lot. Set the scene in a location that has an interest factor so that the setting itself is interesting. -Writers Write Interview
20. Reveal your setting in such a way that the setting is interesting. If you wrote a story in a private school and didn’t reveal any inside information about what it’s like to work or study at a private school then you’ve got a boring setting. -Writers Write Interview
Bonus Quotes
21. We would all like to say, we, ‘Eh, I don’t read my reviews. I don’t mind getting a bad review. It doesn’t hurt.’ I think that’s a lie. – CBS News Interview
22. I’m not trying to emulate William Faulkner. I never said I was. – CBS News Interview
23. I’m always trying to keep a secret. I don’t want people to know what I’m writing about…half the questions I ask are about something totally unrelated, and half of the places I go see are unrelated, just trying to keep people off the track of what I’m writing about. – MTPR Interview
Further Reading
If you loved the quotes by Dan Brown, check out the huge collection of writing quotes below. The collection features the best quotes by some of the most famous writers such as James Patterson, Louis L’Amour, Stephen King, J.K Rowling and Margaret Atwood among many more.
The quotes are full of valuable advice for any aspiring writer.
If you are struggling to create a business around your writing and need some encouragement, read the quotes below.