J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye talked about reading a book

“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.”
― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

Ernest Hemingway is desperate about writing

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
― Ernest Hemingway

Madeleine L'Engle tried to tell you that you'd better understand both your capability and aspiration on writing

“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”
― Madeleine L'Engle

Stephen King talks about something beyond money, fame, dates, sex and friendship

“Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It's about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft