The moment a man sets his thoughts down on paper, however secretly, he is in a sense writing for publication.
Interpretation
Writing is an inherent act of communication and expression, even if intended to be private.
Raymond Chandler's quote emphasizes the idea that once someone commits their thoughts to paper, they are engaging in the broader act of writing, which is ultimately a means of sharing oneβs inner thoughts with the world. This reflects the intimate relationship between writing and the intent to communicate, suggesting that even private writing holds the potential for public impact and connection.
In practice
Use this quote during a writing workshop to inspire participants about the power of sharing their stories.
Undoubtedly the stories about them [hard-boiled detectives] had a fantastic element. Such things happened, but not so rapidly, nor to so close-knit a group of people, nor within so narrow a frame of logic. This was inevitable because the demand was for constant action; if you stopped to think you were lost. When in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand.
There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge.
Organized crime is the dirty side of the sharp dollar.
When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand.
The flood of print has turned reading into a process of gulping rather than savoring.
If my books had been any worse, I should not have been invited to Hollywood, and if they had been any better, I should not have come.
Failure and its accompanying misery is for the artist his most vital source of creative energy.
I always say that a poet loves the world, and the prose writer needs to create an alternative world.
When I got into the music industry, I wasn't focused on being the most famous artist or even getting a major record deal. It was just to make music on my own terms or create my own image, do my own hair, do my own makeup.
For me, style is about quality, integrity and timelessness. It is free of trends but always feels fresh and new.
When I listen to 'Nevermind,' I hate the production, but there's something about it that almost makes me cry at times.
One thing is certain: the arts keep you alive. They stimulate, encourage, challenge, and, most of all, guarantee a future free from boredom. They allow growth and even demand it in that time of life we call maturity but too often enter it with a childish faith that what we learned in youth is sustenance enough for the years when most men are mentally famished but won't admit itβor when they are apt to curb their hunger with the sops of complacency, security, and the assurance of death.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.