Some conversations just stick with you, and often, when the
conversation is over and you’ve had a few days to digest it, you think of that
thing you should have said. In this
case, it was one of those things that needed to be said, but was left better unsaid;
unless of course your goal is to hurt feelings.
As with most people, writers seek out those inspiring quotes
from those who have been successful in our field. These quotes are often motivating, or
enlightening, some of us turn them into words to live by.
“The first draft of anything is ****” – Ernest Hemingway
I love that quote, because regardless of how great you feel
about that brain purge, well, Hemingway said it best. I’m pretty sure it was a direct quote, though
I have failed in finding the source of the interview and where he put it into
print. Too lazy to pursue it any
further, especially since this is a well known quote of his…
There is a problem with these quotes. Many times, like a quoted bible verse, the
quote is taken out of context and the meaning is twisted and reformed into
something that agrees with a belief we already hold. This harkens back to one of my other mantra’s
“Research, research, research.”
During the conversation the other day, one of the
individuals involved quoted Lewis Carroll.
Taken at face value, this quote bothered me. It seemed incomplete, and, well, wrong.
“Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end:
then stop” – Lewis Carroll
This quote has the aura of being profound, so it must be
good. Right? The person who used this quote is an aspiring
writer, and they strongly believe in those words, because Lewis Carroll said
them. If an accomplished writer said
those words, they have to be true.
“I could tell you my adventures – beginning from this
morning, but it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different
person then.” – Lewis Carroll
Taken at face value, this quote appears to be in conflict of
the first quote. But, according to the
presentation, this quote is something Lewis Carroll said. Again, if an accomplished writer said those
words, they have to be true.
Let’s take a gander of other “quotes” from established
authors. Feel free to pass judgment,
since that is what we have done with the two quotes from Lewis Carroll.
“You probably mean well, but handing these people food is
the worst thing you could do for them.” – Brandon Sanderson
“There are lots of guys out there who write a better prose
line than I do and who have a better understanding of what people are really
like and what humanity is supposed to mean – hell, I know that.” – Stephen King
“I am a disappointed drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth, and no man on
earth cares for me.” – Charles Dickens
“Many that live deserve death.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
“If you’re in trouble, or hurt or need – go to the poor
people. They’re the only ones that’ll
help – the only ones.” – John Steinbeck
Interesting quotes, to say the least. If we take them at face value, as the
aspiring writer has taken the Carroll quote, we come to some bothersome
conclusions. Sanderson is selfish, King
is humble, Dickens had no friends, Tolkien and Steinbeck were cynics.
Every quote on this post has one thing in common: They were pulled from works of fiction. They didn’t come from an interview, nor were
they quoted from books about writing, all of them came from works of
fiction: Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland, Elantris, Misery, A Tale of Two Cities, The Fellowship of the Ring,
and The Grapes of Wrath.
I know. The argument
is that the writer’s thoughts are often brought out in their works. So, the first Lewis Carroll quote is how he
feels about writing. Okay, I can accept
that. As long as you can accept that
Brandon Sanderson believes feeding people who can’t feed themselves is the
worst thing you can do for them. I can
accept your blind devotion to that single quote as long as you hold that same
devotion for EVERY phrase in that book.
I write words that would never come out of my mouth. My characters say things that make me
cringe. Now, I could be pompous enough
to believe I am the only one, but the truth of the matter is; when a character
says something in a book, it does not always reflect the author’s beliefs. I find it difficult to believe someone would
be naïve enough to think otherwise. But,
if you are using a quote from a work of fiction as your mantra on how to write
a story, well, that’s a tad bit on the naïve side.
On the other hand, if you just like something a character
said and you want to use it as your mantra, then by all means, use it. Just credit the character. Don’t put words in the author’s mouth.
“And I mean it.”
“Anybody want a peanut?”