Human affairs inspire in noble hearts only two feelings-admiration or pity.
Anatole FranceRead
You become a good writer just as you become a good joiner: by planing down your sentences.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Improving your writing skills requires practice and refinement, much like any craft.
Anatole France's quote suggests that writing, like woodworking, is a skill that develops through careful attention to detail and revision. Just as a skilled joiner shapes wood through planning and sanding, a good writer polishes their sentences, removing excess and refining their words to achieve clarity and impact.
Themes
WritingPracticeSkillRevisionCraft
In practice
Example use cases
In a workshop on writing, this quote can inspire participants to embrace the editing process.
More from Anatole France
All quotes βAwaken people's curiosity. It is enough to open minds, do not overload them. Put there just a spark.
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In its majestic equality, the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal loaves of bread.
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Justice is the means by which established injustices are sanctioned
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There is a certain impertinence in allowing oneself to be burned for an opinion.
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Lovers who love truly do not write down their happiness.
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