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George R. R. Martin Quotes - Page 30

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You are grown so very great now, yet the higher a man climbs the farther he has to fall.

You are grown so very great now, yet the higher a man climbs the farther he has to fall.

George R. R. Martin
Fall, Men, Higher
George R. R. Martin (2011). “A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle: A Song of Ice and Fire Series: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, and A Feast for Crows”, p.2241, Bantam

But Tolkien doesn't ask the question: What was Aragorn's tax policy?

George R. R. Martin
Orcs, Taxes, Policy
"George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview". Interview with Mikal Gilmore, lesswrong.com. April 23, 2014.

We're setting up mechanisms where we can kill human beings with drones and missiles where you're sitting at a console and pressing the button. We never have to hear their whimpering, or hear them begging for their mother, or dying in horrible realities around us. I don't know if that's necessarily such a good thing.

George R. R. Martin
Mother, Reality, Dying

Cersei Lannister: I shall wear this as a badge of honor. Robert Barathon: Wear it in silence or I'll honor you again.

George R. R. Martin
Silence, Honor, Badges

I don't like the strictly objective viewpoint [in which all of the characters' actions are described in the third person, but we never hear what any of them are thinking.] Which is much more of a cinematic technique. Something written in third person objective is what the camera sees. Because unless you're doing a voiceover, which is tremendously clumsy, you can't hear the ideas of characters. For that, we depend on subtle clues that the directors put in and that the actors supply. I can actually write, "'Yes you can trust me,' he lied." [But it's better to get inside the characters' heads.]

George R. R. Martin
Writing, Character, Thinking

She just laughed in his face and told him she'd sooner crawl in a bed with his father's leeches before she'd crawl in one with him. She stopped laughing when he put his knife in her.

George R. R. Martin
Father, Knives, Laughing

She narrowed her eyes. “What is our heart’s desire?” “Vengeance.” His voice was soft, as if he were afraid that someone might be listening. “Justice.” Prince Doran pressed the onyx dragon into her palm with his swollen, gouty fingers, and whispered, “Fire and blood.

George R. R. Martin
Heart, Eye, Fire
George R. R. Martin (2012). “George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones 5-Book Boxed Set (Song of Ice and Fire Series): A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and and A Dance with Dragons”, p.2964, Bantam

I have a huge emotional attachment to characters I've created, especially the viewpoint characters.

George R. R. Martin
Character, Emotional, Attachment
"Personal Quotes/ Biography". www.imdb.com.

Is there any creature on earth as unfortunate as an ugly woman? (wonders Lady Catelyn Stark)

George R. R. Martin
Earth, Ugly, Wonder

I'm a strong believer in telling stories through a limited but very tight third person point of view. I have used other techniques during my career, like the first person or the omniscient view point, but I actually hate the omniscient viewpoint. None of us have an omniscient viewpoint; we are alone in the universe. We hear what we can hear... we are very limited. If a plane crashes behind you I would see it but you wouldn't. That's the way we perceive the world and I want to put my readers in the head of my characters.

George R. R. Martin
Strong, Hate, Writing

From where I sit, battles are hard. I’ve written my share. Sometimes I employ the private’s viewpoint, very up close and personal, dropping the reader right into the middle of the carnage. That’s vivid and visceral, but of necessity chaotic, and it is easy to lose all sense of the battle as a whole. Sometimes I go with the general’s point of view instead, looking down from on high, seeing lines and flanks and reserves. That gives a great sense of the tactics, of how the battle is won or lost, but can easily slide into abstraction.

George R. R. Martin
Writing, Views, Giving
Interview with Bernard Cornwell, www.bernardcornwell.net.

Power resides where men believe it to reside.

George R. R. Martin
Believe, Men

I know nothing and perhaps I never will.

George R. R. Martin
Knows

...spend my time warring and whoring, that's what I was made for.

George R. R. Martin
Made, My Time
George R. R. Martin (2003). “A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One”, p.317, Bantam

The only game. The game of thrones.

George R. R. Martin
Games, Thrones
"A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3)". Book by George R. R. Martin, August 8, 2000.

I have done a lot of work in Hollywood myself. I worked in television for roughly 10 years, from the mid-'80s to mid-'90s. And I was on staff at a couple of shows. I did some feature films, including originals and adaptations.

George R. R. Martin
Couple, Years, Done
"A conversation with Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin". The Sydney Morning Herald Interview, www.smh.com.au. August 1, 2011.

...Ned always said that the man who passes the sentence should swing the blade, though he never took any joy in the duty. But I would, oh, yes.

George R. R. Martin
Men, Swings, Joy
George R. R. Martin (2011). “A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle: A Song of Ice and Fire Series: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, and A Feast for Crows”, p.1382, Bantam

The vast majority of writers out there, they finish their books and no one cares whether their book is late or ever comes out at all. And then it comes out and two reviews are published and it sells 12 copies.

George R. R. Martin
Book, Two, Majority
"Getting more from George RR Martin". Interview with Alison Flood, www.theguardian.com. April 14, 2011.

Nothing bores me more than books where you read two pages and you know exactly how it's going to come out. I want twists and turns that surprise me, characters that have a difficult time and that I don't know if they're going to live or die.

George R. R. Martin
Book, Character, Two
"Biography / Personal Quotes". www.imdb.com.

Start with short stories. After all, if you were taking up rock climbing, you wouldn't start with Mount Everest. So if you're starting fantasy, don't start with a nine-book series.

George R. R. Martin
Book, Rocks, Climbing
"Personal Quotes/ Biography". www.imdb.com.

What would a Frey know of honor? - Sir Davos Seaworth

George R. R. Martin
Honor, Davos, Knows

I thought my song was beginning that day, but it was almost done.

George R. R. Martin
Song, Almost Done, Done
George R. R. Martin (2003). “A Storm of Swords: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Three”, p.1097, Bantam

The north remembers, Lord Davos. The north remembers, and the mummer’s farce is almost done. My son is home.

George R. R. Martin
Home, Son, Farce
George R. R. Martin (2012). “George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones 5-Book Boxed Set (Song of Ice and Fire Series): A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and and A Dance with Dragons”, p.3463, Bantam

Wisdom oft comes from the mouth of babes.

George R. R. Martin
Mouths, Babe
George R. R. Martin (2012). “George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones 5-Book Boxed Set (Song of Ice and Fire Series): A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and and A Dance with Dragons”, p.524, Bantam

I've been many kinds of writers in my career: novelist; tele-playwright; short story writer. As a high-school student, I wrote amateur pieces for fanzines, and I've written for Hollywood.

George R. R. Martin
School, Careers, Hollywood
"Personal Quotes/ Biography". www.imdb.com.

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