It’s November, which to writers aspiring and published alike, can only mean one thing: NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month is a time to put everything aside and just focus on your writing. If you’re in need of inspiration on this perilous journey, we’ve got words of wisdom for you from eight authors who’s work you may be familiar with.

“If you don’t see the book you want on the shelf, write it.” —Beverly Cleary, author of the Ramona series

This celebrated children’s author provides both the why and the what of your writing. No one sees the world the same way you do; only you can share your voice. Write where you see holes in the canon, find your niche.

“Write hard and clear about what hurts.”—Earnest Hemingway, author of The Old Man and the Sea

Simple, clear advice from a man known for his brevity. If you’re looking for a direction to take your writing, think about what hurts. What pains you, personally? Make it intimate; write small. And above all, make sure you’re writing clearly; don’t get bogged down in purple prose that can distract from your meaning.

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” —Richard Bach, author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Illusions

From the author of some of the biggest selling books in the 70s comes this very simple statement to remind you to keep going. All professional authors were once amateurs, writing to write, with no big publishing deal waiting at the end. If being a professional writer or a published author is your dream, keep writing.

“Very few writers really know what they’re doing until they’ve actually done it.” —Anne Lamotte, author of Imperfect Birds

As you’re muddling through the muck of writing your novel, inevitably at some point you will come to the conclusion that you have no idea what you’re doing, especially if this if your first novel. You may lose faith that your story will end up on track because you’ve split off on a tangent. That’s okay. Accept that you don’t know what you’re doing and keep going. It’s going to be messy and imperfect. You’ll find your way through.

“If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.” —Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale

These words of wisdom from a classic author who’s seen a recent spike in the popularity of her older works speaks volumes to the mission of NaNoWriMo. Don’t get hung up on inspiration or perfection, just write. Write anything. Push for quantity on the first draft, just getting it out there. Perfection is a goal to strive for in the editing process only—perfection can wait until December.

“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” —Terry Prachett, author of the Discworld series and coauthor of Good Omens

While this advice from such a prolific best-selling author could be interpreted as in the same vein as Margaret Atwood’s advice, there’s another way to see it. This is your time to write for you and only you. Put all thoughts of what’s marketable or what you’d be proud to show your parents out of your head. Just tell yourself the story that you want to tell.

“When in doubt, make trouble for you character. . . . Protagonists need to screw up, act impulsively, have enemies, get into trouble.”—Jane Fitch, author of White Oleander and Paint it Black

Whenever you get stuck, look no further than Jane Fitch’s advice. Get your characters in trouble. Have them say the wrong thing, piss off the wrong person, or do something entirely boneheaded. They should make poor decisions because that creates conflict, and conflict is what ultimately makes a story interesting.

“A book is a dream that you hold in your hands.” —Neil Gaman, author of American Gods and Coraline

To keep you inspired as you write, just remember why you’re writing. It’s going to get hard, and there may be days where you want to quit. But your book is a dream. Your dream. And unless you keep going, your dream will never be realized. And maybe someday, someone will be able to hold your dream in their hands.