Don't write about Man; write about a man.

All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world.

Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his time. You have to write up, not down. Children are demanding. They are the most attentive, curious, eager, observant, sensitive, quick, and generally congenial readers on earth.... Children are game for anything. I throw them hard words and they backhand them across the net.

Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar.

Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar.

You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it.
That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.