I prefer a saint with faults to a sinner with none.
Charles PeguyRead
A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket.
Interpretation
Different writers express words with varying depths of emotion and intention.
This quote by Charles Peguy highlights the subjective nature of writing and the emotional investment different writers have in their words. It suggests that the same word can carry vastly different meanings depending on the writerβs personal experiences and the depth of feeling they associate with it, emphasizing the art of writing as a reflection of the writer's inner world.
In practice
In a workshop on creative writing, this quote could inspire participants to explore their emotions more deeply.
I prefer a saint with faults to a sinner with none.
Life holds only one tragedy, ultimately: not to have been a saint.
Any father whose son raises his hand against him is guilty of having produced a son who raised his hand against him.
Love is rarer than genius itself. And friendship is rarer than love.
In my opinion, trying to guess what readers want is the wrong approach. You have to tell your story as best you can and as true to yourself as possible. You have to be honest and fair and vulnerable and foolish and brave, and not care what anyone thinks of it.
It interests me to imagine characters shifting from one situation and one location to another for whatever the circumstances may be.
While I admire writers who are able to write with a vitality based on order and action, I work in a different vein. I often feel that if I can get the language just right, the language hypnotizes the reader.
Every natural action is graceful.
For me, drawing is a question of death and life. Every day I draw, I write, I do something.
The artistic life is a long, lovely suicide.
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