My attitude toward punctuation is that it ought to be as conventional as possible. The game of golf would lose a good deal if croquet mallets and billiard cues were allowed on the putting green. You ought to be able to show that you can do it a good deal better than anyone else with the regular tools before you have a license to bring in your own improvements.
Interpretation
Hemingway emphasizes the importance of sticking to conventional methods in writing before attempting innovation.
This quote by Ernest Hemingway conveys the idea that mastery of traditional techniques and established norms is essential in any creative discipline, such as writing or sports. He uses the analogy of golf, suggesting that just as one must adhere to specific equipment in golf to demonstrate skill, a writer should first demonstrate proficiency with conventional punctuation rules before introducing personal styles or innovations. This reflects a broader philosophy about respecting the fundamentals in any craft.
In practice
In a writing workshop, discussing the importance of mastering punctuation before experimenting with style.
He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and the lions on the beach. They played like young cats in the dusk and he loved them as he loved the boy. He never dreamed about the boy. He simply woke, looked out the open door at the moon and unrolled his trousers and put them on.
How did you go bankrupt?" Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.
When you have shot one bird flying you have shot all birds flying. They are all different and they fly in different ways but the sensation is the same and the last one is as good as the first.
There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who has lived in it differs from that of any other. We always returned to it no matter who we were or how it was changed or with what difficulties, or ease, it could be reached. Paris was always worth it and you received return for whatever you brought to it. But this is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy.
Wine is the most civilized thing in the world.
There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.
There are so many different narrative traditions across the world, and each of those traditions has evolved dramatically over time. Once I understood that, I felt truly free; I could write and invent the way I wanted to because there never has been only one way to tell a good story.
The artist in our time has two chief responsibilities: (1) art; and (2) sedition.
Asking an artist to talk about his work is like asking a plant to discuss horticulture.
The architect works for so many years building it, and the moment you deliver it to the people is the moment when you are unnecessary.
Fine music without devotion is but a splendid garment upon a corpse.
I write a lot of songs people don't hear. I really just enjoy the process. I finish 'em all. I don't think there's a whole lot of difference between the bad ones and the good ones.
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