Be natural my children. For the writer that is natural has fulfilled all the rules of art.
Interpretation
Being authentic in your expression as a writer adheres to the true principles of art.
In this quote, Charles Dickens emphasizes the importance of authenticity and naturalness in the craft of writing. He suggests that a writer who writes genuinely and without pretense naturally adheres to the fundamental rules of art, implying that true artistic expression comes from being true to oneself and one’s experiences.
In practice
An author's note at the beginning of a book could quote this to emphasize the importance of genuine storytelling.
I recollected one story there was in the village, how that on a certain night in the year (it might be that very night for anything I knew), all the dead people came out of the ground and sat at the heads of their own graves till morning.
A silent look of affection and regard when all other eyes are turned coldly away-the consciousness that we possess the sympathy and affection of one being when all others have deserted us-is a hold, a stay, a comfort, in the deepest affliction, which no wealth could purchase, or power bestow.
Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before--more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle.
There are not a few among the disciples of charity who require, in their vocation, scarcely less excitement than the votaries of pleasure in theirs.
You might, from your appearance, be the wife of Lucifer,” said Miss Pross, in her breathing. “Nevertheless, you shall not get the better of me. I am an Englishwoman.
Christmas is a poor excuse every 25th of December to pick a man's pockets.
Actors are agents of change. A film, a piece of theater, a piece of music, or a book can make a difference. It can change the world.
The white paintings came first; my silent piece came later.
It's true that none of my characters are admirable. But maybe I'm primarily a satirist, and a satirist needs to hold up what's not admirable.
Art is not an object, but a trigger for experience.
The best graphics are about the useful and important, about life and death, about the universe. Beautiful graphics do not traffic with the trivial.
I started writing morning pages just to keep my hand in, you know, just because I was a writer and I didn't know what else to do but write. And then one day as I was writing, a character came sort of strolling in and I realized, Oh my God, I don't have to be just a screenwriter. I can write novels.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.