"The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean; not to affect your reader, but to affect him precisely as you wish"
- Robert Louis Stevenson
About this Quote
This quote by Robert Louis Stevenson speaks to the obstacle of writing literature. Writing is not the difficult part, but rather communicating the designated message in a precise and effective manner. It is inadequate to simply affect the reader, however to affect them in the exact manner in which the author desires. This needs a good deal of ability and accuracy in order to guarantee that the message is conveyed in the most efficient way possible. It is an uphill struggle to be able to write in a manner in which is both meaningful and accurate, but it is a required ability for any writer of literature. By mastering this ability, writers can make sure that their work is both meaningful and efficient.
"A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect"
"Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it"
"Great literature must spring from an upheaval in the author's soul. If that upheaval is not present then it must come from the works of any other author which happens to be handy and easily adapted"
"All literature consists of whatever the writer thinks is cool. The reader will like the book to the degree that he agrees with the writer about what's cool"
"What fascinated me mostly about Mickey Cohen was that he, in his later years, hired someone to help him to comprehend literature, to help him to read better, to understand words better"