“It is a little out of touch to presume that someone wants to follow your every observation and insight over the course of hundreds of pages without any sort of payoff. That's why writing isn't a one-way street. You have to give something back: an interesting plot, a surprise, a laugh, a moment of tenderness, a mystery for the reader to piece together.” WayWantGivingWritingLittlesMomentsTogetherCoursesInterestingLaughingPiecesMysteryStreetsReaderPagesSurpriseInsightObservationOne WayPlotTendernessPayoff Author:Christopher Bollen
“One of the most modern pretenders to inspiration is the Book of Mormon. I could not blame you should you laugh outright while I read aloud a page from that farrago.” ShouldBookInspirationLaughingModernPagesBlamePretender Book:The Complete Works of C. H. Spurgeon, Volume 37 Source: The Complete Works of C. H. Spurgeon, Volume 37
“The only place where you can really surprise or shock the reader, or make someone laugh, is on the lower righthand corner - the very last panel - so as you turn the page, the payoff is in the upper lefthand panel. To pace every story so that there's a setup and a payoff at the page turn was a huge challenge; it's a part of the medium and you really have to learn what can be done in the medium.” DoneStoriesLastsTurnsChallengesLaughingHugeReaderPagesSurpriseCornersMediumsShockPacePayoffSetupsMake Someone Laugh Author:Chuck Palahniuk
“I think I became a writer because I used to write letters to my friends, and I used to love writing them. I loved the idea that you can put marks on a page and send it off, and two days later, someone laughs somewhere else in the world.” ThinkingWorldWritingTwoIdeasUsedLaughingPagesMy FriendsLettersMarkSomewhere ElseTwo DaysUsed To Love Author:David Nicholls
“To dismiss basic contexts such as link colours, page layouts, navigation systems, and visual hierarchy as 'boring' or 'pedestrian' is akin to laughing at a car's steering wheel as unimaginative.” LaughingCarPagesBoringWheelsVisualsColourLinksHierarchySteeringNavigationPedestriansLayout Book:The Art & Science of Web Design Source: The Art & Science of Web Design
“I believe with all my heart in delivering on my contract with my readers. They've got plenty of other things to do, so I had better give them a reason to turn every one of these 550 pages. This is my promise: I solemnly swear I'll make you laugh out loud at least once, cry a little in private, and burn whatever you left on the stove.” GivingBelieveHeartLittlesReasonTurnsLeftI BelieveLaughingCryReaderMy HeartPromisePagesPlentyLoudThings To DoContractsSwearDeliveringMake You LaughStovesLaugh Out Loud Author:Barbara Kingsolver
“Could there be a more hilarious sad sack than Duncan Leland, whose trials and tribulations, so wittily conveyed, had me laughing (and wincing) from the first page? Hart's Maine landscape is rich with eccentric characters, dried fish, and other surprising and original treasures. While Duncan sinks, the reader will float on a cloud nine of classy entertainment.” FirstsCharacterLaughingRichReaderPagesOriginalsCloudsFishesEntertainmentTreasureNineTrialsLandscapeSurprisingFloatsEccentricTribulationMaineTrials And TribulationsHartDuncanCloud Nine Author:Mameve Medwed
“A writer has to stand outside the page. It's not for the writer to shed tears onto the pages for these characters. It's not for him to suffer or to laugh or to experience ecstasy or agony in the manner of the characters on the pages.” CharacterSufferingLaughingTearsPagesEcstasyShedAgonyStanding Out Author:Richard Flanagan
“Not every story lends itself tonally to humor, so you have to navigate that territory properly. You can put a humorous spin on anything, really, if you know what you're doing, but it's not always desirable to have your reader laughing on every page.” IfsKnowsStoriesLaughingReaderPagesHumorousTerritoryDesirableNavigate Author:Kevin Keck
“People think "The Office" was improvised, but it's all on the page. We do that because what we found is that in the early days of "The Office," we went in with it sort of 80 percent scripted and we did some things and then we improv'd and we did - you know, and it gets a laugh on the floor because it's the first time they've heard it.” PeopleThinkingKnowsFirstsFoundLaughingHeardOfficePagesPercentFirst TimeDid You Know Author:Ricky Gervais
“The Sun in London ran a front page declaring my bum a national treasure. I really did laugh at that. Its not like it can actually do anything, except wiggle.” LaughingSunFrontsPagesLondonTreasureRanDeclaringNational Treasure Author:Kylie Minogue
“Then, in my most careful handwriting, come all the details it would be a crime to forget. Lady licking Prim's cheek. My father's laugh. Peeta's father with the cookies. The colour of Finnick's eyes. What Cinna could do with a length of silk. Boggs reprogramming the Holo. Rue poised on her toes, arms slightly extended, like a bird about to take flight. On and on. We seal the pages with salt water and promises to live well to make their death count.” WellsWould BeEyeFatherWaterForgetLaughingCrimeArmsPromisePagesBirdDetailsCarefulFlightColourLengthSaltCheeksToesCookiesSealsSilkLive WellPeetaHandwritingLickingRueFinnickCinnaSalt Water Author:Suzanne Collins
“Daily dawns another day; I must up, to make my way. Though I dress and drink and eat, Move my fingers and my feet, Learn a little, here and there, Weep and laugh and sweat and swear, Hear a song, or watch a stage, Leave some words upon a page, Claim a foe, or hail a friend- Bed awaits me at the end.” WayLittlesEndsMovingSongWatchesLaughingFeetStageDrinkBedPagesClaimsDressesFingersMy WayDawnSweatSwearFoeHere And ThereHailAnother Day Book:Dorothy Parker Source: Dorothy Parker