One of the great things about books is you can afford to do anything.
George R. R. MartinRead
I've always preferred writing about grey characters and human characters. Whether they are giants or elves or dwarves, or whatever they are, they're still human, and the human heart is still in conflict with the self.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the complexity of human nature, regardless of fantastical elements.
George R. R. Martin suggests that the essence of storytelling lies in the exploration of flawed and multifaceted characters. Whether depicted as mythical beings or ordinary humans, the internal struggles and conflicts within individuals form the core of a compelling narrative, highlighting the universal themes of identity and self-awareness.
Themes
ComplexityHuman NatureConflictCharactersStorytelling
In practice
Example use cases
In a writing workshop, when discussing character development, you could use this quote to highlight the importance of internal conflict.
More from George R. R. Martin
All quotes →I hate outlines. I have a broad sense of where the story is going; I know the end, I know the end of the principal characters, and I know the major turning points and events from the books, the climaxes for each book, but I don't necessarily know each twist and turn along the way. That's something I discover in the course of writing and that's what makes writing enjoyable. I think if I outlined comprehensively and stuck to the outline the actual writing would be boring.
George R. R. MartinRead
There is only one god and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: “Not today.
George R. R. MartinRead
I did not do it. Yet now I wish I had.’ He turned to face the hall, that sea of pale faces. ‘I wish I had enough poison for you all. You make me sorry that I am not the monster you would have me be, yet there it is. I am innocent, but I will get no justice here.
George R. R. MartinRead
But a voice inside her whispered, There are no heroes, and she remembered what Lord Petyr had said to her, here in this very hall. 'Life is not a song, sweetling,' he'd told her, 'You may learn that one day to your sorrow.' In life, the monsters win, she told herself.
George R. R. MartinRead
I write from this tight third-person viewpoint, where each chapter is seen through the eyes of one individual character. When I'm writing that character, I become that character and identify with that character.
George R. R. MartinRead
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