And he did see--that life was rotten, that there were no heroes, really, and that you couldn't trust anybody, not even yourself. Robert Cormier More Quotes by Robert Cormier More Quotes From Robert Cormier A new sickness invaded Jerry, the sickness of knowing what he had become, another animal, another beast, another violent person in a violent world, inflicting damage, not disturbing the universe but damaging it. Robert Cormier knowing animal world There is very little that is accidental in my work. I believe in serendipity for developments of plot, but the actual writing is arrived at by very hard work. The joy of writing doesn't mean that you don't get the backaches and headaches and the days when it's not coming. Robert Cormier writing mean believe When you get the ideas, that's a thrill; when you're writing the book and it's corning out well, that's a thrill; when you finish it and other people read it, that's a thrill. There are going to be reviews, of course; not everyone's going to love it. You feel sort of naked and vulnerable in a way. That's just a minor part of the process, really. If you can't take that part, you shouldn't be in the business. But there are so many joys to writing. Robert Cormier writing book ideas He hated to think of his own life stretching ahead of him that way, a long succession of days and nights that were fine - not good, not bad, not great, not lousy, not exciting, not anything. Robert Cormier night long thinking I'm weary of the battle. But a tired fighter can still be a fighter. Robert Cormier fighter tired battle I simply write with an intelligent reader in mind. I don't think about how old they are. Robert Cormier intelligent writing thinking I read a lot of detective stories because they always deliver. They give you a beginning, a middle, and an end - a resolution. The modern novels I read don't always deliver because I'm looking essentially for a story. As in Shakespeare, "The play's the thing." In particular I read detective stories for pacing, plot and suspense. Robert Cormier modern-novel play giving People always ask me about the role models that I'm providing for kids, and I say I can't be concerned with that. I'm not worrying about corrupting youth. I'm worrying about writing realistically and truthfully to affect the reader. Robert Cormier role-models writing kids He was swept with a sadness, a sadness deep and penetrating, leaving him desolate like someone washed up on a beach, a lone survivor in a world full of strangers. Robert Cormier leaving sadness beach Affection is one of the most neglected words in the English language, that people throw the word love around like confetti when they mean affection. Robert Cormier affection mean people We all start out with the same alphabet. We are all unique. Talent is not the most important thing --- discipline and dedication are. Craft can be learned but desire and longing are innate. Despite the demands of school and just being young, try to write SOMETHING every day --- a description, a captured emotion, a simile, a metaphor. Read, for crying out loud! A writer must read the way a ball player must go to the ballfield every day to practice. Everything is possible in this world of ours--- and so's publication. Robert Cormier unique writing school I sometimes get tired because I can seldom read a book for pleasure. I'm like the play reviewer who happens to go to a play on an off day and can't help but view it critically. Robert Cormier tired views book Do I dare disturb the universe? Yes, I do, I do. I think. Jerry suddenly understood the poster--the solitary man on the beach standing upright and alone and unafraid, poised at the moment of making himself heard and known in the world, the universe. Robert Cormier men beach thinking It doesn't matter how big the body, it's what you do with it. Robert Cormier bigs body matter It would be nice to avoid the world, to leave it and all its threats and unhappiness. Not to die or anything like that, but to find a place of solitude and solace. Robert Cormier nice solitude would-be I'm not a reader of young adult fiction for the simple reason that these novelists are writing for adolescents, so they are not writing for me. Robert Cormier simple writing fiction He was intrigued by the power of words, not the literary words that filled the books in the library but the sharp, staccato words that went into the writing of news stories. Words that went for the jugular. Active verbs that danced and raced on the page. Robert Cormier news-stories writing book I have always had a sense that we are all pretty much alone in life, particularly in adolescence. Robert Cormier teens teenager inspirational You could reason with someone who was halfway educated and appeal to his intelligence, but I felt helpless in the face of utter stupidity. Robert Cormier stupidity reason faces You have to accept the critical reviews if they treat you with respect. Actually, it's one person's opinion. So, it's a concern but not an overriding one, and I don't stay up nights worrying about reviews. But there are certain people I respect who I hope will like a book. Robert Cormier worry night book
