Top 96 Quotes & Sayings by Elizabeth George

While I've written in the POV (point of view) of adolescent characters before... I never have had to create novels in which those characters not only drive the plot, but also are instrumental in resolving whatever issue the plot deals with.

The English tradition offers the great tapestry novel, where you have the emotional aspect of a detective's personal life, the circumstances of the crime and, most important, the atmosphere of the English countryside that functions as another character.

Having a facility for language is an important part of being an author.

Lots of people want to have written; they don't want to write. In other words, they want to see their name on the front cover of a book and their grinning picture on the back. But this is what comes at the end of a job, not at the beginning.

I write the kinds of novels I like to read, where the setting is rendered with love and care.

The Pacific Northwest, and particularly Whidbey Island, is extremely suited to be a location in a novel.

I don't think anyone could write about another culture and get it 100 percent accurate.

I'm interested in the dark side of man. I'm interested in taboos, and murder is the greatest taboo. Characters are fascinating in their extremity, not in their happiness.

Essentially and most simply put, plot is what the characters do to deal with the situation they are in. It is a logical sequence of events that grow from an initial incident that alters the status quo of the characters.

Oh, yes, I taught 13 and a half years. I taught English, first at a Catholic school and then at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, Calif.

What we are is what we were always meant to be, and that's writers.

I wish that I had known back then that a mastery of process would lead to a product. Then I probably wouldn't have found it so frightening to write.

Writing is no dying art form in America because most published writers here accept the wisdom and the necessity of encouraging the talent that follows in their footsteps.

I myself have suffered periodically from hearing voices at night when I'm trying to sleep.

I try to create a challenge for myself in each book. And sometimes, believe me, I just kick myself afterwards, and say, 'Why on earth did you ever attempt this, you idiot!' But I'm always better for the experience.

Art can't be taught; passion can't be taught; discipline can't be taught; but craft can be taught. And writing is both an art and a craft.

Creating the characters is the most creative part of the novel except for the language itself. There I am, sitting in front of my computer in right-brain mode, typing the things that come to mind - which become the seeds of plot. It's scary, though, because I always wonder: Is it going to be there this time?

I have to know the killer, the victim and the motive when I begin. Then I start to create the characters and see how the novel takes shape based on what these people are like.

I attempt to write a good novel. Whether it is literature or not is something that will be decided by the ages, not by me and not by a pack of critics around the globe.

I knew from the age of seven that I was meant to be a writer.

When I start a book, I write a minimum of five pages every day, except weekends. If I'm going on a ski trip, I take my computer with me, get up at six, do my five pages, and then go skiing.

I taught English, first at a Catholic school and then at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, Calif.

I find it both fascinating and disconcerting when I discover yet another person who believes that writing can't be taught. Frankly, I don't understand this point of view.

It is the job of the novelist to touch the reader.

I really liked the idea of creating a journal myself. It's like the way I clear my throat. I write a page every day, maybe 500 words. It could be about something I'm specifically worried about in the new novel; it could be a question I want answered; it could be something that's going on in my personal life. I just use it as an exercise.

Plotting is difficult for me, and always has been. I do that before I actually start writing, but I always do characters, and the arc of the story, first... You can't do anything without a story arc. Where is it going to begin, where will it end.

When we don't understand and don't agree with the way life has gone, we are to bow before God and once again confess that we can't understand His wisdom. In faith, we are to accept His wisdom, His Word, and His workings, trusting in Him and obeying His commands.

It's easy to talk about how much you love God, but loving others reveals how much you truly do.

Gather knowledge about the craft of writing. Immerse yourself in the art of it. Then write. Write yourself silly. Write yourself mad. Write yourself blind. Trust the excitement that builds within you when the idea is good and the writing is superb. You can do it, but that's the hell of it as well as the exultation of it. You have to do it.

Apathy is a spiritual numbness that creeps in and corrupts the good that God intends for our life and the good that He wants us to accomplish for Him and His kingdom.

Prayer enables you to tap into God's wisdom anywhere, anytime, no matter what's going on.

Exchange the bad habit of worrying with the excellent habit of trusting God.

Your attitude toward others, work, and your daily life is a reflection of your attitude toward God.

The past can't be changed, can it? It can just be forgiven.

When you delight yourself in the Lord, His Word and His ways become the focus and foundation of your life.

Gentleness is strength under control. It is the ability to stay calm, no matter what happens.

Remember to say what you mean, but don't say it meanly.

A godly woman is beyond average because she keeps her word. She honors her vows. She exhibits great faith. She overcomes great obstacles. And she affects her family, her community, even the world.

God's ways and His will come in His own perfect time.

Joy is a sure sign of the presence of God in your life.

It's hard to criticize someone if you are praying for them.

Material blessings fade and deteriorate, but your riches in Christ are everlasting.

Dust off that Bible. It has the answers you are looking for, and its delights await you.

And now, dear Lord, I acknowledge afresh that You are the God of all peace, my Jehovah-Shalom. My job is to receive. you give me Your peace. My job is to take it. You lead me to Your still waters. My role is to follow. You extend Your hand. My role is to take hold. My I enjoy Your presence and the tranquility of the still waters where You pour out your promise of peace. Amen.

God will help you make the choices that guide you into His path for each stage and age of your life.

Each new day is another chapter in the unfolding promise of deliverance and life.

Our actions, habits, character, and future are most definitely affected by our thoughts.

When we hold our thoughts up against God's standards of what is true and what is real, we can recognize and, with His help, learn to release many of our negative emotions, damaging thoughts, and destructive attitudes.

When we acknowledge God's supreme role in our life and set our mind on Him, He enables us to be women of hope.

He had never thought of himself as much of a praying man, but as he sat in the car in the growing darkness and the minutes passed, he knew what it was to pray. It was to will goodness out of evil, hope out of despair, life out of death. It was to will dreams into existence and spectres into reality. It was to will an end to anguish and a beginning to joy.

Replace worry with prayer. Make the decision to pray whenever you catch yourself worrying.

The most important thing you must decide to do every day is put the Lord first.

God uses the flawed, the failures, and the imperfect to accomplish His perfect will.

With the help of the Lord, you can handle life's challenges and heartaches, even the valley of the shadow of death. What comfort your fainting heart has, knowing that in those stumbling times of discouragement and despair, of depletion and seeming defeat, the Shepherd will find you...restore and "fix" you...and follow you...until you are well on your way.

Expectations destroy our peace of mind. They are future disappointments, planned out in advance.

It takes a lot of grace and maturity to simply forgive, but a lot of healing takes place when you do.

Begin each day with God. It will change your priorities.

She thought about how it was so simple with animals. They gave their hearts without question or fear. They had no expectations. They were so easy to love. If people could only be like that, no one would ever be hurt, she thought. No one would ever need to learn how to forgive.

The degree of our spiritual strength will be in direct proportion to the time we spend in God's Word.

Perseverance is not a passive submission to circumstances-it is a strong and active response to the difficult events of life.