Stephen King on the hardest things to put into words: Quotes for Writers (and people who like quotes)
The most important things are the hardest to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them — words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they’re brought out. But it’s more than that, isn’t it? The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you’ve said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That’s the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear.
Stephen King
6 comments on “Stephen King on the hardest things to put into words: Quotes for Writers (and people who like quotes)”
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Reblogged this on mira prabhu and commented:
“The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away.” ~ Stephen King. Read on for the whole quote – and thank you Bridget Whelan…
Here King does manage to make clumsy, inflexible words express what he needs to say – almost. Anyone who has experienced bereavement or loss of any kind will know what he means.
The construction of this quote is nothing less than exquisite. It builds to its crescendo with that critical last sentence. Superb!
You’re right Danny. If words are such awkward tools we need to use every trick in the book to make them work: structure, pacing, repetition, the way they sound even if you only ever hear them inside your head…
You took the words(thoughts) right out of my mind(mouth).
Good…but you knew I was going to say that.