Category: Quotes, Words, & Phrases

July 13, 2017

Ray Bradbury Called You a Sublime Fool

Sorry. I lied. That’s not true. Ray Bradbury actually called you “the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling.” Lol. Burn! Ok. Ok. Technically, he called himself that, too. And me. And anyone who ever wanted to be a writer. Or an artist. Man, what a jerk! Or, you know, a realist about the writing profession...

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June 6, 2017

That’s What an Artist Is: A Toni Morrison Quote

Do you agree with this Toni Morrison quote? Is that what an artist is? What does she even mean by “a politician”? What Does This Toni Morrison Quote Mean by “a Politician”? Here are a couple of ways I think this could be interpreted (out of context like it is here, of course, because I honestly think that’s how most...

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May 4, 2017

Henry David Thoreau Quote: The Key to Selling Anything

“I have great faith in a seed… Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.” Wow. To me, this Henry David Thoreau quote summarizes the main idea of selling your work to a publisher or a producer.* Heck, it’s the key to selling anything. And the two key words? “Convince me.” The Seed & the...

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April 13, 2017

John Steinbeck Quote: Ideas Are Like Rabbits

You know, this John Steinbeck quote is beautifully simple, straightforward, and true: “Ideas are like rabbits.” Even the imagery and simile of the beginning by itself imply the meaning since rabbits’ reproductive speed is a well-known cultural joke. When it’s expanded into an analogy, it’s patently clear: It’s easy to be overrun by ideas. Simple, right? In fact, I think I already touched on that when I...

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March 21, 2017

10 Fun Made-up Words from Movies, Books, and Musicals

Hurray for neologisms! (and neologists!) These fun made-up words from movies, books, and musicals will keep you smiling – especially when you start throwing them around in conversation! 10 Neologisms (Fun Made-up Words)  1. Thneed Picking a single neologism from Dr. Seuss books is quite a challenge. His amusing, rhythmic stories rely on fun made-up words more than perhaps any other author’s works...

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March 16, 2017

The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil Is That Good Men Do Nothing

It’s a very powerful, motivating statement: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” In a speech, it would get a strong response from the audience. Because it feels true. It is not, however, the best advice for plotting a novel. Is the Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil That Good Men Do...

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March 7, 2017

A One-track Mind Writing Prompt Challenge

Yes, the phrase “a one-track mind” often has connotations of X-rated content; however, all it really means is that person is fixated on a specific topic. It could be a video game that a person loves, a show someone watches all the time, a favorite author, a significant other, politics, world news, dieting, a pet – anything a person could...

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February 23, 2017

Ordinary Life Quote by Harvey Pekar: The Key to Realism

This ordinary life quote by Harvey Pekar is one of those extremely simple, straightforward quotes that manages to be extremely deep and complicated, as well. “Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff.”  — Harvey Pekar That’s true, right? It feels true, anyway. And (IMHO), that’s the key to realism – complexity. It’s the little everyday details that are easy to forget...

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February 7, 2017

8 Nose Quotes from Page, Stage, & Screen

Why I am I writing about nose quotes? To be honest, I was listening to a show, heard a funny quote about noses, and thought, “Hey! That could be an article.” But noses really are an often-overlooked-yet-persistent part of stories. To help inspire you to use the overlooked or unexpected, here are 8 nose quotes from page, stage, & screen. A...

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January 31, 2017

The Cleverest of All: A Fyodor Dostoyevsky Quote

“The cleverest of all, in my opinion, is the man who calls himself a fool at least once a month.” Once a month? I thought calling yourself a fool (or idiot) only a few times a week was doing pretty well as an adult! And that is part of being an adult, isn’t it? Admitting that you were wrong and/or that...

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