“My theory about writing is that one should write books you'd like to read, but no one else has written yet. So, as long as I stick with that, I'm entertaining myself, and then hopefully my readers as well. I hope to god I realize that I'm repeating myself, if I ever do. But if I don't, I'm sure my readers will let me know.” IfsKnowsShouldWritingWellsLongBookRealizingWrittenTheoryReaderLet MeSticksHopefullyEntertaining Author:Charles de Lint
“It is a fallacy to think that carping is the strongest form of criticism: the important work begins after the artist's mistakes have been pointed out, and the reviewer can't put it off indefinitely with sneers, although some neophytes might be tempted to try: "When in doubt, stick out your tongue" is a safe rule that never cost one any readers. But there's nothing strong about it, and it has nothing to do with the real business of criticism, which is to do justice to the best work of one's time, so that nothing gets lost.” ThinkingTryingHas BeensImportantRealMightFormArtistLostStrongJusticeMistakeDoubtReaderCostSafeCriticismSticksTongueStrongestTemptedBest WorkFallacyReviewersWhen In DoubtSneerImportant Work Author:Wilfrid Sheed
“I would like to please the reader, and I think that surprise has to be an element of this, and that may necessitate a certain amount of teasing. To shock the reader is something else again. That has to be handled with great care if you're not going to alienate and hurt him, and I'm firmly against that, just as I disapprove of people who dress with that in mind - dye their hair blue and stick safety pins through their noses and so on.” PeopleIfsThinkingMindMayCareCertainHurtHairReaderAmountPleaseElementsDressesSafetyBlueSticksSurpriseNosesShockPinsTeaseSafety Pins Author:John Ashbery
“I want to leave my readers with a sequence of ideas/phrases that makes them question something they'd taken for granted. Or that confuses them to the point that they laugh, but contains one or two phrases/lines that stick in their minds.” WantMindTwoIdeasLinesLaughingTakenReaderSticksGrantedPhrasesSequenceTaken For Granted Author:Aaron Belz
“Glen Hirshberg's stories are haunting, absolutely, but not only because of the content -- the stories themselves haunt, they stick around, they linger, inhabiting a little corner of the reader's brain and resurfacing to evoke mystery or sadness or longing. It's a pleasure to dive into Hirshberg's storytelling skills in American Morons.” LittlesStoriesPleasureBrainMysterySadnessReaderSkillsLongingSticksCornersStorytellingHauntingEvokeMoron Author:Aimee Bender
“Readers want more of the same from you. So stick to one genre.” WantReaderSticksGenre Author:Ruskin Bond
“I come from a nation where fantastic fiction has a very low status, unless it fits into some very specific categories or is written by already established authors. I don't by any means try to hide what I write, but the way people think in categories here is pretty extreme: it blots out discussing the actual work on its own terms. That's made me loath to talk about my own work in terms of genre, because once you get a label, it sticks and poof go a slew of potential readers and reviewers because eww, fantasy cooties.” PeopleThinkingWayWritingTryingMeanMadeNationsTermMy OwnFictionFantasyWrittenReaderFitLowsSticksExtremesFantasticLabelsGenreCategoriesDiscussingReviewersCooties Author:Karin Tidbeck
“A book can just be a description of a stick being snapped in half. If the reader is brought to feel the plight of the stick, well, you can imagine what that would be like.” IfsFeelsWellsBookWould BeHalfImagineReaderSticksDescriptionPlight Author:Jesse Ball