I'd write of people and places like I knew, and I'd make my characters talk everyday English; and I'd let the sun rise and set in the usual quiet way without much fuss over the fact. If I had to have villains at all, I'd give them a chance, Anne--I'd give them a chance. There are some terrible bad men the world, I suppose, but you'd have to go a long piece to find them...But most of us have got a little decency somewhere in us. Keep on writing, Anne.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of authenticity in writing and recognizing the inherent goodness in people.
Lucy Maud Montgomery expresses a philosophy of writing that prioritizes a genuine portrayal of human nature and the world. She suggests that characters should speak in a relatable manner, and that even the villains should be given a chance, reflecting her belief in the underlying decency present in most individuals. This approach highlights the beauty of everyday life and encourages writers to stay true to their experiences and perceptions while portraying a balanced view of humanity.
In practice
In a writing workshop, to inspire fellow writers about the importance of realism in storytelling.
A broken heart in real life isn't half as dreadful as it is in books. It's a good deal like a bad tooth, though you won't think THAT a very romantic simile. It takes spells of aching and gives you a sleepless night now and then, but between times it lets you enjoy life and dreams and echoes and peanut candy as if there were nothing the matter with it.
A house isn't a home without the ineffable contentment of a cat with its tail folded about its feet. A cat gives mystery, charm, suggestion.
Gilbert darling, don't let's ever be afraid of things. It's such dreadful slavery. Let's be daring and adventurous and expectant. Let's dance to meet life and all it can bring to us, even if it brings scads of trouble and typhoid and twins!" (Anne to Gilbert)
Youth is not a vanished thing but something that dwells forever in the heart.
I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.
She had dreamed some brilliant dreams during the past winter and now they lay in the dust around her. In her present mood of self-disgust, she could not immediately begin dreaming again. And she discovered that, while solitude with dreams is glorious, solitude without them has few charms.
Whenever I write a novel, music just sort of naturally slips in (much like cats do, I suppose).
What makes international cinema so interesting is that each territory has its own sensibility. When you look at an Indian or French film, there's a certain flavor. And even though the language is different, if the film is successful, it has something very common and understandable.
It has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like everybody else.
Ideas alone can be works of art; they are in a chain of development that may eventually find some form. All ideas need not be made physical.
Painting is a nail to which I fasten my ideas.
I write from real life. I am an unrepentant eavesdropper and a collector of stories. I record bits of overheard dialogue.
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