Even people who haven't read his work know his name. "Hemingway" has a distinct quality, conjuring up concepts like exploration, romance, masculinity, paired back prose, and, most importantly, great writing. There's a damned good reason for that!

Ernest Hemingway may not have been the most agreeable fellow. He was insecure, misogynistic, and egotistical, but his genius can't be denied. He left an indelible mark on the world of literature and, as you'll see from the quotes below, had invaluable advice for new writers.

1. “I love to write. But it has never gotten any easier to do and you can’t expect it to if you keep trying for something better than you can do.” Writing (in the sense Hemingway means it) is difficult, and this is especially true when penning long-form fiction.

Sure, you can rest on your laurels and pump out mediocre rubbish, but if you seek to push beyond your limits and create work of real value—work that aspires (like Hemingway) to convey Truth—you must be prepared to scale one mountain after another.

2. “For Christ sake [sic] write and don’t worry about what the boys will say nor whether it will be a masterpiece nor what. I write one page of masterpiece to ninety one pages of shit. I try to put the shit in the wastebasket.” Ultimately, you are the best judge of your own work

While feedback and advice are important, make sure you take it all with a pinch of salt. Focus on the work itself, rather than how it will be received. After all, as history shows, the most groundbreaking art is often the most divisive. Trust in your vision and don't waver.

3. “You must be prepared to work always without applause. When you are excited about something is when the first draft is done." There is a running theme to Hemingway's advice on writing; namely, that one must work diligently in a kind of healthy isolation.

Don't expect to sustain the same level of joy you had upon reaching your first target. Hemingway goes on to say that when you have gone over your work countless times you're no longer a reliable judge. Just remember not to pay your feelings too much heed and stay the path.

4. “I think we should never be too pessimistic about what we know we have done well because we should have some reward and the only reward is that which is within ourselves…Publicity, admiration, adulation, or simply being fashionable are all worthless…” 

Not everyone will like your work - that's just the nature of subjectivity. When you know in your heart you've produced something of real quality and don't get the praise you think you deserve, look inward. No one else but you must be judge, jury, and executioner of every word or