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Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them

Book by Francine Prose · 9 quotes · Elements, Reading, Writing

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Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them Quotes

“You can assume that if a writer's work has survived for centuries, there are reasons why this is so, explanations that have nothing to do with a conspiracy of academics plotting to resuscitate a zombie army of dead white males.”

“Like seeing a photograph of yourself as a child, encountering handwriting that you know was once yours but that now seems only dimly familiar can inspire a confrontation with the mystery of time.”

“Every page was once a blank page, just as every word that appears on it now was not always there, but instead reflects the final result of countless large and small deliberations. All the elements of good writing depend on the writer's skill in choosing one word instead of another. And what grabs and keeps our interest has everything to do with those choices.”