[Ads-l] Quote Origin: Write hard and clear about what hurts (Attributed to Ernest Hemingway)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

I have received several requests to explore the quotation in the
subject line. The earliest known match appeared in the 1990 book "Wild
Mind: Living the Writer’s Life" by Natalie Goldberg. A chapter
discussing "The Rules of Writing Practice" contained the following
passage:

[Begin excerpt]
If something scary comes up, go for it. That's where the energy is.
Otherwise, you'll spend all your time writing around whatever makes
you nervous. It will probably be abstract, bland writing because
you’re avoiding the truth.
Hemingway said, "Write hard and clear about what hurts." Don’t avoid
it. It has all the energy.
[End excerpt]

The book "Wild Mind" did not give a citation, and currently there is
no substantive evidence that Ernest Hemingway who died in 1961 crafted
the statement.

Here is a link to the QI article:
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2025/06/24/hard-clear/

Feedback welcome
Garson O'Toole
QuoteInvestigator.com

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