So long as readers keep reading and my publishers keep publishing, I plan to keep on writing. I'd have to be an idiot to be burnt-out in this job.
Lee ChildRead
Male authors always take care to make their heroes at least one inch taller than they are, and considerably more muscular. Just as female authors give their heroines better hair and slimmer thighs.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote humorously reflects on how authors often exaggerate the physical traits of their characters.
Lee Child's quote highlights the tendency of male and female authors to embellish the physical attributes of their protagonists, suggesting that there's an inherent desire to create idealized versions of themselves or to meet societal standards of beauty. This exaggeration serves both to entertain readers and to play into the tropes prevalent in literature, poking fun at the unrealistic portrayals of characters in fiction.
Themes
ExaggerationCharactersLiteratureBeautyIdealization
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about character development during a writing workshop.
More from Lee Child
All quotes →People, Reacher was certain about. Dogs were different. People had freedom of choice. If a man or a woman ran snarling toward him, they did so because they chose to. They were asking for whatever they got. His response was their problem. But dogs were different. No free will. Easily misled. It raised an ethical problem. Shooting a dog because it had been induced to do something unwise was not the sort of thing Reacher wanted to do.
Lee ChildRead
Reacher said, "So here's the thing Brett. Either you take your hand off my chest, or I'll take it off your wrist.
Lee ChildRead
The way to write a thriller is to ask a question at the beginning, and answer it at the end.
Lee ChildRead
It gives me some kind of chance to survive the night." "How are those better odds? If you come back with me, you're guaranteed to survive the night." "No," Reacher said. "If I come back with you, I'm guaranteed to die of shame.
Lee ChildRead
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