Quotes from a Book Festival

When I attend writer or book festivals, I usually return with a few quotable lines from authors, small bits that have resonated with me. The 2015 Tucson Festival of Books was no exception.

At the festival, there were a number of things said I connected with. In addition, may of the authors I heard in panel discussion or workshops quoted other authors and artists. Many of these quotes also resonated.

Words Quoted at the Festival

The world is a comedy to those who feel, a tragedy to those who think. ∼Henry Wapole (quoted during a discussion on the use of humour in writing)

Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly. ∼G.K. Chesterton (quoted by Michael Gelb when he talked about embracing humour)

People who have practiced good manner and conflict-avoidance all their lives have to remember to leave those habits at the door when they enter the theatre of fiction. ∼Charles Baxter (quoted by Michael Kardos in a workshop on compelling stories when talked about the dangers of making your protagonist too passive or trying to keep him/her safe)

If you are an artist, you try to keep one ear to the ground and the other to your heart. ∼Bruce Springsteen

You can fix anything but a blank page. ∼Nora Roberts

Writing is driving through the fog at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the entire journey that way. ∼E.L. Doctorow

Words of Festival Authors

If you want your readers to be emotionally invested, you need to put your characters in danger. Sometimes you have to carry through with the threat. ∼William Kent Krueger (Note I may not have transcribed this exactly word for word, but this speaks to trying to keep your characters too safe)

Stick with what you know and you can get away with murder. ∼William Kent Krueger (speaking on how he started his mystery series focusing on two things he knew – Minnesota and family)

A series is an adventure of a soul across time. ∼Julia Keller

If you are not engaged in discovery as you writer, the reader will not be interested. ∼Michael Kardos

You may look at all the books and think that every book that could be written already has been, but it hasn’t. The world is waiting for yours. ∼Michael Gelb (again I suspect I have not transcribed the wording exactly, but the intent and meaning are clear and encouraging)

Do any of these quotes resonate with you?