Each kind of story has its own problems in writing, but my main concern really is to keep the reader on his toes, or to keep the strip unpredictable. I try to achieve some sort of balance between the two that keeps the reader wondering what's going to happen next and be surprised.

Bill Watterson

Categorized in : Two Writing Balance

Creating a life that reflects your values and satisfies your soul is a rare achievement. In a culture that relentlessly promotes avarice and excess as the good life, a person happy doing his own work is usually considered an eccentric, if not a subversive... To invent your own life's meaning is not easy, but it's still allowed, and I think you'll be happier for the trouble.

Bill Watterson

good-life creating thinking

Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.

Bill Watterson

cute-life friday sunday

The truth is, most of us discover where we are headed when we arrive.

Bill Watterson

truth-is detours motivational

Hobbes: How come we play war and not peace? Calvin: Too few role models.

Bill Watterson

play war peace

To invent your own life's meaning is not easy, but it's still allowed, and I think you'll be happier for the trouble.

Bill Watterson

trouble wisdom thinking

If people looked at the stars each night, they'd live a lot differently. When you look into infinity, you realize that there are more important things than what people do all day.

Bill Watterson

stars nature inspirational

Calvin: Know what I pray for? Hobbes: What? Calvin: The strength to change what I can, the inability to accept what I can't, and the incapacity to tell the difference.

Bill Watterson

inability differences praying

You know, sometimes the world seems like a pretty mean place.' 'That's why animals are so soft and huggy.

Bill Watterson

animal mean world

The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us.

Bill Watterson

sarcastic inspirational funny

It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.

Bill Watterson

religious people religion

Know what's weird? Day by day, nothing seems to change. But pretty soon, everything's different.

Bill Watterson

funny-life different change

They say the secret of success is being at the right place at the right time, but since you never know when the right time is going to be, I figure the trick is to find the right place and just hang around.

Bill Watterson

tricks figures secret

You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood. What mood is that? Last-minute panic.

Bill Watterson

panic creativity procrastination

I wish people were more like animals. Animals don't try to change you or make you fit in. They just enjoy the pleasure of your company. Animals aren't conditional about friendships. Animals like you just the way you are. They listen to your problems, they comfort you when you're sad, and all they ask in return is a little kindness.

Bill Watterson

kindness animal people

If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I'll bet they'd live a lot differently.

Bill Watterson

cute-life funny-life stars

If good things lasted forever, would we appreciate how precious they are?

Bill Watterson

appreciate good-things forever

Calvin: Look, a dead bird! Hobbes: It must've hit a window. Calvin: Isn't it beautiful? It's so delicate. Sighhh... once it's too late, you appreciate what a miracle life is. You realize that nature is ruthless and our existence is very fragile, temporary, and precious. But to go on with your daily affairs, you can't really think about that... which is probably why everyone takes the world for granted and why we act so thoughtlessly. It's very confusing. I suppose it will all make sense when we grow up. Hobbes: No doubt.

Bill Watterson

growing-up beautiful thinking

Calvin: They say the world is a stage. But obviously the play is unrehearsed and everybody is ad-libbing his lines. Hobbes: Maybe that’s why it’s hard to tell if we’re living in a tragedy or a farce. Calvin: We need more special effects and dance numbers.

Bill Watterson

special play numbers

Surprise is the essence of humor, and nothing is more surprising than truth.

Bill Watterson

surprising surprise essence

You will do well to cultivate the resources in yourself that bring you happiness outside of success or failure.

Bill Watterson

resources detours wells