Don't ever write just for a trend or fad, because it's a moving target, and by the time you get your work out there, the trend or fad is gone. Dig deep; don't be afraid to write fiercely. Expose your heart.
Jane YolenRead
I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The importance of storytelling transcends reality, focusing on the narrative's relevance over its truth.
Jane Yolen emphasizes that storytelling is a vital art that prioritizes the message and emotional truth of the narrative over its factual accuracy. In her view, the stories we tell should resonate with human experience and carry the weight of what truly needs to be expressed, regardless of their basis in reality.
Themes
StorytellingNarrativeArtTruthCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a writing workshop to encourage participants to embrace their unique stories, referencing this quote could inspire confidence in their storytelling.
More from Jane Yolen
All quotes →What makes a good book? Scholars and critics have been debating that question for decades. I like books that touch my head and my heart at the same time.
Jane YolenRead
Just write. If you have to make a choice, if you say, 'Oh well, I'm going to put the writing away until my children are grown,' then you don't really want to be a writer. If you want to be a writer, you do your writing... If you don't do it, you probably don't want to be a writer, you just want to have written and be famous—which is very different.
Jane YolenRead
I believe that culture begins in the cradle . . .To do without tales and stories and books is to lose humanity's past, is to have no star map for our future.
Jane YolenRead
Childrens books change lives. Stories pour into the hearts of children and help make them what they become.
Jane YolenRead
Folklore is the perfect second skin. From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world.
Jane YolenRead
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