Quotes by Shannon Hale

Sometimes my fancy gets to floating inside me, threatening to carry me away like a leaf on a wind. Better to be a stone.

I wonder if everyone who faces death hurts like this. Its as though for the first time I realize how much just being alive makes my body ache. But I dont want that ache to stop.

Being a writer is a good, good thing.

The rewrites are a struggle right now. Sometimes I wish writing a book could just be easy for me at last. But when I think about it practically, I am glad its a struggle. I am (as usual) attempting to write a book thats too hard for me. Im telling a story Im not smart enough to tell. The risk of failure is huge. But I prefer it this way. Im forced to learn, forced to smarten myself up, forced to wrestle. And if it works, then Ill have written something that is better than I am.

Im writing a first draft and reminding myself that Im simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.

Throwing herself into learning helped Miri ignore the painful chill of solitude around her.

A castle of defense, a bastion of mightA fort where the wise teach the young to fightAn armory of weapons, sharp as hooksAre wrapped in leather and shelved as books

If were mad, were mad in large numbers, at least larger than yours.

Careful with the accusations of insanity, oh my lady whose home is a tower with windows of brick, all for the sake of some skinny-ankled, laugh-prone boy of a khan.

We found it! Charlotte yelled, as they ran back through the house. We found it, we found it!Eddie, Mr. Mallery, and Colonel Andrews came from separate directions, converging in the front hall. Miss Charming was hopping up and down, her bosom nearly rising to slap her own forehead.

My heart’s so light it floats and carries me so my feet don’t walk. I sing all day and I don’t mind the washing, and that’s how I know I’m in love. Completely smitten with My Lord the cat.

Personally, I believe “Young Adult” to be an arbitrary title that means the book Can be enjoyed by anyone/Has a main character who’s not quite an adult/Isn’t really boring.

She closed the book and put her cheek against it. There was still an odor of a library on it, of dust, leather, binding glue, and old paper, one book carrying the smell of hundreds.

The book smelled dusty and old but also carried a sweet tang, a hint of something inviting. She opened to the first page and started to read, pronouncing the words in a reverent whisper.

But, how do you know if an ending is truly good for the characters unless youve traveled with them through every page?

Im going to find whoever is responsible for me sleeping out side with outside without pillows and kick them in the shins!-Enna

Over there! Where? Enna asked in mock panic Do you see something?

When you get tired of worrying and mourning your horse and trying not to be afraid, tell me and Ill do it for you a while so you can shut your eyes and sleep peaceful.

My friends call me by my name.You dont have any friends.I dont want you to be my friend, Selia, or my servant, not now. I thought you were both. You have let me know I was wrong. So are you to treat me so. You are wrong.

And Isi always listened, never told Enna she had been foolish, never said hollow things like Youll be all right. . . . Isi saw Ennas struggle and her sadness, and she understood.