Category Archives: Quotations

A maxim on writing, for what it’s worth

Posted on 25/07/2015 by x x

‘If you’re bored writing it, it’s likely the reader will be bored reading it!’ – David Anderson, author of Earthly Powers

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A gem among the straw

Posted on 06/06/2015 by x x

I’ve just this past few minutes finished Six Years, a thriller by the mega-selling Harlan Coben.  I think the novel is so-so, not bad but not great either.  The pages turn so effortlessly that they almost seem to turn by … Continue reading →

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A young Claire North (Catherine Webb) on successful writers

Posted on 02/05/2015 by x x

‘I think the successful writers (ignoring one or two shockingly painful cases) are the ones who enjoy what they’re doing.  There are all kinds of writers out there who enjoyed it the first time around but quickly began to write … Continue reading →

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A writer’s education

Posted on 16/04/2015 by x x

Hannah Arendt wrote (in 1954): ‘The problem of education in the modern world lies in the fact that by its very nature it cannot forego either authority or tradition, and yet must proceed in a world that is neither structured … Continue reading →

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My favourite opening sentence

Posted on 27/03/2015 by x x

A novel’s first sentence should indeed be an opening line, a doorway into the rest of the book.  Ideally it should be such an inviting portal that the reader can barely resist entering, which means it’s a tricky task for … Continue reading →

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Someone who got it right

Posted on 19/12/2014 by x x

“Après les choses qui sont de première nécessité pour la vie, rien n’est plus précieux que les livres.” This is from Pierre Simon Fournier’s 1764 typography manual and it means: “After all the basic necessities of life, there is nothing more precious … Continue reading →

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