WIST Quotations

White, E. B. -- Essay (1939-01), “One Man’s Meat,” Harper’s Magazine, Vol. 178

Dave — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 22:27:02 +0000

A writer should cultivate only what naturally absorbs his fancy, whether it be freedom or cinch bugs, and should write in the way that comes easy.

E. B. White (1899–1985) American author, critic, humorist [Elwyn Brooks White]
Essay (1939-01), “One Man’s Meat,” Harper’s Magazine, Vol. 178
(Source)

When collected in his book, One Man's Meat (1944), the essay was renamed "Salt Water Farm." Sometimes the excerpted third section of the essay is referred to as "The Duty of Writers."

Lewis, C.S. -- The Screwtape Letters, Preface (1961 ed.)

Dave — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:58:04 +0000

At bottom, every ideal of style dictates not only how we should say things but what sort of things we may say.

C. S. Lewis (1898–1963) English writer, literary scholar, lay theologian [Clive Staples Lewis]
The Screwtape Letters, Preface (1961 ed.)
(Source)

Twain, Mark -- (Spurious)

Dave — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 13:31:55 +0000

Substitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very”; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.

Mark Twain (1835–1910) American writer [pseud. of Samuel Clemens]
(Spurious)

Written as such, I was unable to find any online book reference with the expression prior to 2001, except for a possible 1982 second-hand mention in a Forbes Magazine letter column. Further research (see QI link below) finds the first mention of something substantially like this in 1935, recollecting a similar statement by newspaper editor William Allen White several years before. All post-date Twain's death. For more details, and other variants of this quotation, see Advice Origin: Substitute ‘Damn’ Every Time You’re Inclined to Write ‘Very’ – Quote Investigator®.