Orson Scott Card Quotes (118 Quotes)

The danger that keeps me just a little frightened with every book I write, however, is that I'll overreach myself once too often and try to write a story that I'm just plain not talented or skilful enough to write. That's the dilemma every storyteller faces. It is painful to fail. But it is far sadder when a storyteller stops wanting to try.

My college training was primarily in theatre, with an eye to becoming a director, actor, or producer.

Of course, I also hear from critics who detest what I do, and while sometimes I feel rather proud of having made various the loathsome people or groups angry, at other times I wonder why I put up with such grief.

I wonder sometimes if the motivation for writers ought to be contempt, not admiration.

I have too many secrets. For all these years I've been a speaker for the dead, uncovering secrets and helping people to live in the light of truth. Now I no longer tell anyone half of what I know, because if I told the whole truth there would be fear, hatred, brutality, murder, war.

There was no doubt now in Ender's mind. There was no help for him. Whatever he faced, now and forever, no one would save him from it. Peter might be scum, but he had been right, always right the power to cause pain is the only power that matters, the power to kill and destroy, because if you can't kill then you are always subject to those who can, and nothing and no one will ever save you.

Ulysses, obviously. It was an elaborate prank, and our supposed intellectual elite continue to fall for it.

It was written and sold. I knew it was a strong story because I cared about it and believed in it. I had no idea that it would have the effect it had on the audience. While most people ignored it, of course, and continue to live full and happy lives without reading it or anything else by me, there was still a surprisingly large group who responded to the story with some fervency.

The best thing about my job, though, is stopping at the end of the day and rejoining the human universe.

In order to learn, one must change one's mind.

Writing sessions can last an hour or sixteen hours, depending on how it's going.

How clever of me. I have found such a pathway into hell that I can never get back out.

The most important training, though, is to experience life as a writer, questioning everything, inventing multiple explanations for everything. If you do that, all the other things will come; if you don't, there's no hope for you.

I don't believe that there are aliens. I believe there are really different people.

You who speak languages, you are such liars.

I buy way too many books.

There is more good writing and good acting in any ten minutes of Twister than in, say, all of Citizen Kane.

One mind can think only of its own questions; it rarely surprises itself.