Quotes by Writers

I was such a sullen, angry, sad kid. I'm sure there are writers who have had happy childhoods, but what are you going to write about? No ghosts, no fear. I'm very happy that I had an unhappy and uncomfortable childhood. Isabel Allende

As long as you don't forgive, who and whatever it is will occupy rent-free space in your mind. Isabelle Holland

You Space Mind Will Long Whatever Occupy Forgive Your Who

No man can lose what he never had. Izaak Walton

Man Lose Never Had He

We pay when old for the excesses of youth. J. B. Priestley

Age Youth Old Pay Excess

I enjoy very much being in a foreign country, in a new country, new place. And I enjoy also beginning a new book. It's like being someone else. J. M. G. Le Clezio

Book Country Beginning Enjoy Else Someone New Like New Book Also Foreign Foreign Country New Place Very Being Place Much

Foresight turns out to be a critical adaptive strategy for times of great stress. Jamais Cascio

Great Stress Strategy Adaptive Out Critical Foresight Times Turns

Metaphor is not just the detection of patterns; it is the creation of patterns. James Geary

Creation Detection Metaphor Just Patterns

Metaphor creates a kind of conceptual synesthesia, in which we understand one concept in the context of another. James Geary

Kind Concept Conceptual Another Understand Metaphor Context Which Creates

Metaphor matters because it creates expectations. James Geary

Matters Because Metaphor Expectations Creates

For me, a good friend is someone you might only see once or twice a year but each time it feels as though you've just seen them last week. James Herbert

We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary. James Nicoll

Words Down Other Borrow Vocabulary Pockets Pursued Beat Unconscious New Occasion Just Them Languages English Rifle

I live in a village where people still care about each other, largely. Jan Karon

People Care Live Other About Still Where Village Each Largely

Even the roughest character, underneath all that hurt, is someone who wants to love and be loved. Jan Karon

Love Character Hurt Someone Underneath Loved Wants To Love Who Even

There's nothing trite about being consoled in a world that does everything in its power to deliver sorrow. Jan Karon

World Power Nothing Everything About Trite Deliver Sorrow Does Being

A woman, especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can. Jane Austen

Woman Misfortune Conceal Knowing She Well Anything Should

A man would always wish to give a woman a better home than the one he takes her from; and he who can do it, where there is no doubt of her regard, must, I think, be the happiest of mortals. Jane Austen

They are much to be pitied who have not been given a taste for nature early in life. Jane Austen

Life Nature Given Been Taste Pitied Much Who Early

Dress is at all times a frivolous distinction, and excessive solicitude about it often destroys its own aim. Jane Austen

Own Aim Distinction Destroys Dress About Excessive Times Frivolous Often

The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid. Jane Austen

Good Stupid Gentleman Pleasure Must Person Lady Who Novel

Stories of all lengths and depths come from different parts of the cave. For a novel, you must lay in mental, physical and spiritual provision as for a siege or for a time of hectic explosions, while a short story is, or can be, a steady, timed flame like the lighting of a blow lamp on a building site full of dry tinder. Jane Gardam

Time Spiritual You Building Flame Lamp Siege Must Physical Mental Steady Lay Lighting Come Like Dry Parts Cave Provision Blow Site Short Different Stories Short Story Story While Hectic Depths Different Parts Full Explosions Novel