How does a writer come up with an unforgettable phrase or quote?
I
believe it must be relevant. Relevant to the character and to the story, but it
also needs to sound spontaneous. If it comes across as forced or predictable, it’s
doubtful most would remember it as something remarkable or significant.
The bad guy ‘speech’ right before he tortures or attempts to kill the hero is generally a redundant spew of blah, blah, blah B.S., we have all heard a million times. But, when Clint Eastwood, as Harry Callahan, said, “Go ahead, make my day,” it was and still is, legendary.
Formulating an ‘etched in your mind forever’ quip, quote, or statement is no doubt a difficult task. I often wonder, while reading a book, what the writer was thinking when they wrote something exceptionally significant. Did they like it at first? Did they rewrite it a hundred times? Unfortunately, only the writer knows the answers to those questions.
I mentioned the Clint Eastwood quote because we now live in a world where movie excerpts dominate our social vernacular more so than any passage from a book. Yes, it is true many memorable movie lines come from books, but when was the last time you heard a group of teenagers talking about something they read in a book? Hardly ever, I suspect. Unless, they heard it on an Audio book, thus hearing it instead of reading it.
I used to be a big movie watcher, but as I grow older, the comfort of a good book, while sitting in my soft chair, late at night, when the house is deathly silent, entertains me more than watching a movie.
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“I
can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, Sir,” said Alice, “because I am not myself,
you see.”
Here
are a few of my favorite lines. I could list a thousand more, but these 3 speak
to me on a personal level.
“Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
“You're bound to get idears if you go thinkin' about stuff” ― John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
“If one plan goes wrong there is need to make another, that is all. And, as for despair — there was no room for despair in Dodd’s make-up. The regiment had taught him that he must do his duty or die in the attempt; a simple enough religion fit for his simple mind. As long as there was breath in his body or a thought in his mind he must struggle on; as long as he went on trying there was no need to meditate on success or failure. The only reward for the doing of his duty would be the knowledge that his duty was being done.” ― C.S. Forester, Rifleman Dodd
The
best I can offer in regards to the joy I feel when reading a book is, I am alone with the
author and their imagination, which I believe is a wonderful place to be.
This summer - winter, visit a book store, library, or go on-line and get a mountain of books. Reacquaint yourself with your imagination; it’s a youthful experience you won’t want to miss!
“It
seems strange to see adults encouraging the young to hurry through the
delightful adventure of youth.”
“Those who die young will never experience the pain of regrettable mistakes and haunting yesterdays.”
“Ignorance and youth are the perfect couple: a nasty curse only time and death can dispel.”
