Diana Wynne Jones

Literary Birthday – 16 August – Diana Wynne Jones

Diana Wynne Jones was born 16 August 1934, and died 26 March 2011.

10 Quotes

  1. A library is a place full of mouth-watering food for thought.
  2. Things we are accustomed to regard as myth or fairy story are very much present in people’s lives. Nice people behave like wicked stepmothers. Every day.
  3. It seems to me that humour is everybody’s way of keeping sane and standing off from the situations so that they can see it intellectually, as well as emotionally.
  4. I don’t know whether you’ve noticed, but if somebody tells a joke, it’s nearly always a mini-fantasy.
  5. I have this very strong feeling that everybody is probably a genius at something, it’s just a question of finding this.
  6. Being a hero means ignoring how silly you feel.
  7. Writing for adults, you have to keep reminding them of what is going on. The poor things have given up using their brains when they read. Children you only need to tell things to once.
  8. Happiness isn’t a thing. You can’t go out and get it like a cup of tea. It’s the way you feel about things.
  9. One person ought to treat another person properly, even if the person’s himself.
  10. It does seem that a fantasy, working out in its own terms, stretching you beyond the normal concerns of your own life, gains you a peculiar charge of energy which inexplicably enriches you. At least, this is my ideal of a fantasy, and I am always trying to write it.

Diana Wynne Jones was an English writer of fantasy novels for children and adults. She is famous for writing the Chrestomanci and the Dalemark series, and the books: Howl’s Moving CastleDark Lord of Derkholm, and The Tough Guide to Fantasyland: The Essential Guide to Fantasy Travel.

Source for Image

Fair use

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Diana_Wynne_Jones.jpg

[Top Tip: Learn how to write fantasy. Buy The Fantasy Workbook]

by Amanda Patterson

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Posted on: 16th August 2014
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