Those writers who lie on the watch for novelty can have little hope of greatness; for great things cannot have escaped former observation.
Interpretation
Originality in writing comes from observing and reflecting on established ideas rather than chasing trends.
Samuel Johnson suggests that writers who constantly seek novelty may overlook the profound truths and insights that have already been discovered. True greatness in writing arises from the ability to see and articulate what has been previously observed, rather than just trying to be different for the sake of it. This emphasizes the value of depth over superficiality in creative endeavors.
In practice
A writer could use this quote in a workshop on creative writing to inspire originality.
To be of no church is dangerous. Religion, of which the rewards are distant, and which is animated only by faith and hope, will glide by degrees out of the mind unless it be invigorated and reimpressed by external ordinances, by stated calls to worship, and the salutary influence of example.
He that reads and grows no wiser seldom suspects his own deficiency, but complains of hard words and obscure sentences, and asks why books are written which cannot be understood.
To let friendship die away by negligence and silence is certainly not wise. It is voluntarily to throw away one of the greatest comforts of the weary pilgrimage.
Fly-fishing may be a very pleasant amusement; but angling or float fishing I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end and a fool at the other.
When any anxiety or gloom of the mind takes hold of you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaining; but exert yourselves to hide it, and by endeavoring to hide it you drive it away.
A fishing rod is a stick with a hook at one end and a fool at the other.
Having unlimited choices can paralyze you creatively.
You have to resign yourself to the fact that you waste a lot of trees before you write anything you really like, and that's just the way it is. It's like learning an instrument, you've got to be prepared for hitting wrong notes occasionally, or quite a lot, cause I wrote an awful lot before I wrote anything I was really happy with. And read a lot. Reading really helps. Read anything you can get your hands on.
If all you have to offer is a look that is supposed to be appealing, the you are going to be paid attention to about a tenth as long as you would be if when you speak you are interesting.
There is a naive belief that injustice only had to be pointed out in order to be cured.
A laugh costs too much when bought at the expense of virtue.
When you reach my age, you realize you couldn't have done things very much better or much worse than you did them in the first place.
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