It may sound trite, but using the weapons of the enemy, no matter how good one's intentions, makes one the enemy. Charles de Lint More Quotes by Charles de Lint More Quotes From Charles de Lint Fairy tales and mythology have always been an exaggerated distillation of the real world. Think of them as blueprints for how to deal with a multitude of situations that can arise in a person's life. The beauty of them is that their analogies resonate so deeply and they also entertain while they teach. Charles de Lint analogiesrealthinking A long time ago a bunch of people reached a general consensus as to what's real and what's not and most of us have been going along with it ever since. Charles de Lint umpiresreallong Inside us lies every possibility that is available to a sentient being. Every darkness, every light. It is the choices we make that decide who or what we will be. Charles de Lint lightchoiceslying I'm pretty much fixated on certain themes. Family, but it's family of choice as much as family of blood. Individuality, yes, but not at the cost of others' happiness. Be true to your friends. Remembering to find some wonder and hope in the world. Basically it boils down to: treat people like you'd like them to treat you, leave the world a little better than it was when you got here, respect others and stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. Charles de Lint others-happinessbloodpeople I believe in a different kind of magic. The kind we make between each other. Charles de Lint magicdifferentbelieve I don't think the world works on merit. Charles de Lint meritworldthinking From the first time he'd met her, he'd sensed an air of contradiction about her. She was very much a woman, but still retained a waiflike quality. She could be brash, and at times deliberately suggestive, yet she was painfully shy. She was incredibly easy to get along with, yet she had few friends. She was a talented artist in her own right, but so self-conscious about her work that she rarely completed a piece and preferred to work with other people's art and ideas. Charles de Lint airideasart Wisdom never comes to those who believe they have nothing left to learn. Charles de Lint leftwisdombelieve I love this world ... That is what rules my life. When I die, I want to have done all in my power to leave it in a better state than it was in when I found it. At the same time I know that this can never be. The world has grown so complex that one voice can do little to alter it any longer. That doesn't stop me from doing what I can but it makes the task hard. The successes are so small, the failures so large and many. It's like trying to stem a storm with one's bare hands. Charles de Lint stormvoicehands I don't know what's waiting for us when we die--something better, something worse. I only know I'm not ready to find out yet. Charles de Lint readywaitingdeath You don't have to be Michelangelo to teach basic art, just as you don't have to be Shakespeare to be able to teach the correct use of language. Charles de Lint teachinguseart You wouldn't want any creative process to lose its sense of fun and adventure, but that doesn't mean you can't take it seriously as well. Charles de Lint funadventuremean How hard would it be to ask children what they see in their heads? How big should the house be in comparison to the family standing in front of it? What is it about the anatomy of the people that doesn't look right? Then let them try it again. Teach them to learn how to see and ask questions. Charles de Lint housechildrenpeople Most children are given far too much praise for their early drawings, so much so that they rarely learn the ability to refine their first crude efforts the way their early attempts at language are corrected. Charles de Lint effortdrawingchildren Write from the heart, what has meaning to you personally; have the patience and discipline to sit down and do it every day whether you're feeling inspired or not; never be afraid to take chances, in fact, make sure you take chances. As soon as you become complacent, you become boring ... . Read as much as possible, not simply in the genre, or what you think you're interested in, but other things as well. Charles de Lint heartwritingthinking I've always known and been interested in people who are a little bit off the norm. I like to call attention to the idea that they are there, that they are real people, not invisible. Charles de Lint realpeopleideas You know how we'd get along better? If everybody'd just remember how we're all related. White, black, Asian, skin. No difference. All the bloodlines go back to that one old mama in Africa. Charles de Lint blackdifferenceswhite Thing is, while I know better, I like sounding ignorant. Talk like this and people figure you're about as dumb as a fencepost, which suits me fine. Makes it all that much easier to take advantage of 'em. Charles de Lint dumbignorancepeople I think a good writer is a mix of confidence (sure that what they're writing is going to appeal to their readers) and uncertainty (what if all these words are crap?). If you're too confident, you get an attitude that seeps through into your writing, affecting the characters and the story. If you're too uncertain, you'll never finish anything. Charles de Lint writingattitudecharacter A body of work may be reviled - mostly by those who have no knowledge of its workings - and yet still carry elements of what can only be considered eternal truths. Charles de Lint elementsbodymay
