Does it ever stop? The wanting you?" "Even when I've just left ye. I want you so much my chest feels tight and my fingers ache with wanting to touch ye again.
Diana GabaldonRead
Conflict and character are the heart of good fiction, and good mystery has both of those in spades.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Good fiction is defined by the presence of conflict and strong characters, especially in the mystery genre.
Diana Gabaldon emphasizes that at the core of engaging fiction, particularly mysteries, lie the elements of conflict and character. Conflict drives the narrative, creating tension and interest, while well-crafted characters bring depth and relatability, allowing readers to become truly immersed in the story.
Themes
ConflictCharacterFictionMysteryStorytelling
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a writing workshop to inspire aspiring authors.
More from Diana Gabaldon
All quotes →But a man is not forgotten, as long as there are two people left under the sky. One, to tell the story; the other, to hear it.
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You are at some point exposed to a wonderful story, and you really want to know what happens next, so you learn to read in order to find out.
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There are things that I canna tell you, at least not yet. And I'll ask nothing of ye that ye canna give me. But what I would ask of ye---when you do tell me something, let it be the truth. And I'll promise ye the same. We have nothing now between us, save---respect, perhaps. And I think that respect has maybe room for secrets, but not for lies. Do ye agree?
Diana GabaldonRead
Do you know,' he said again softly, addressing his hands, 'what it is to love someone, and never - never! - be able to give them peace, or joy, or happiness?' He looked up then, eyes filled with pain. 'To know that you cannot give them happiness, not through any fault of yours or theirs, but only because you were not born the right person for them?
Diana GabaldonRead
Hard to believe lightning can strike twice, but it surely did. The moment Caitriona Balfe came on screen, I sat up straight and said, ‘There she is!’ She and Sam Heughan absolutely lit up the screen with fireworks.
Diana GabaldonRead
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