--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In order to hold off the Forces of…" description: "\"“In order to hold off the Forces of Darkness, you will need a number two pencil and a calendar, preferably one without pictures of kitties on it.”\" — C..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/christopher-moore-353_darkness_in-order-to-hold-off-the-forces-of-darkn_1126284.png" --- # In order to hold off the Forces of Darkness, you will need… ![“In order to hold off the Forces of Darkness, you will need a number two pencil and a calendar, preferably one without pictures of kitties on it.” quote by Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/christopher-moore-353_darkness_in-order-to-hold-off-the-forces-of-darkn_1126284.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/christopher-moore-353_darkness_in-order-to-hold-off-the-forces-of-darkn_1126284.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/christopher-moore-353_darkness_in-order-to-hold-off-the-forces-of-darkn_1126284.png) > ““In order to hold off the Forces of Darkness, you will need a number two pencil and a calendar, preferably one without pictures of kitties on it.”” [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests humorously that simple tools—pencil and calendar—are essential to resist darkness, mocking over‑decorated planning tools. **In simple terms:** Use plain tools, not cute calendars, to fight darkness. Key Takeaway Keep planning simple and focused. Themes discipline humor organization Mood lighthearted pragmatic Type motivational humorous When to use this quote - project planning - goal setting - writing sessions - time management Key Concepts productivity creative writing Questions to Reflect On - What simple tools help you stay organized? - How does humor affect your focus? A Different Perspective May trivialize serious challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) ## Related quotes > [All the forces of darkness need to succeed ... is for the people to do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/all-the-forces-of-darkness-need-to-succeed-is-for-the-people-to-do/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [“For a man to challenge the darkness he need only be armed with a single spark.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-w-boyer/for-a-man-to-challenge-the-darkness-he-need-only-be-armed-with-a/) [Mark W Boyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-w-boyer/) > [Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/today-too-amid-so-much-darkness-we-need-to-see-the-light-of-hope-and-2/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Darkness cannot cast out darkness. You need a light for that. Fear cannot cast out fear. You're gonna need hope for that death warrants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/darkness-cannot-cast-out-darkness-you-need-a-light-for-that-fear/) [Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/) > [There is only so much energy available to us in life. Spending it on solving problems is one possible way of living your life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-moritz/there-is-only-so-much-energy-available-to-us-in-life-spending-it-on/) [Andreas Moritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-moritz/) > [“We can with confidence set a goal to make this Christmas brighter than the last and each year that follows brighter still. The trials…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/we-can-with-confidence-set-a-goal-to-make-this-christmas-brighter/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [I think to dwell continually on the dark side creates gloom and despair and anger and hatred, and that just adds to the darkness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/i-think-to-dwell-continually-on-the-dark-side-creates-gloom-and/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I have learned things in the dark that I could never have learned in the light, things that have saved my life over and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-have-learned-things-in-the-dark-that-i-could-never-have-learned-in/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [I can't tell my people that you will get power only from 6 A.M. to 5 P.M., and after that, we live in darkness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piyush-goyal/i-can-t-tell-my-people-that-you-will-get-power-only-from-6-a-m-to-5-p/) [Piyush Goyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piyush-goyal/) > [“I need darkness as much as I need light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-need-darkness-as-much-as-i-need-light/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are no opposing forces of darkness or anything that would come against God's will for your life .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammykabyemera/there-are-no-opposing-forces-of-darkness-or-anything-that-would-come/) [Sammykabyemera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammykabyemera/) > [Sorry, are you telling me that your demon-slaying buddies need to be driven to their next assignment with the forces of darkness by my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/sorry-are-you-telling-me-that-your-demon-slaying-buddies-need-to-be/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“There doesn't have to be any of that business with one third of the seas turning to blood or anything," said Aziraphale happily. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/there-doesn-t-have-to-be-any-of-that-business-with-one-third-of-the/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“The forces of darkness in the world today threaten the very foundations of human civilization, but they are no match for the power of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-h-calloway/the-forces-of-darkness-in-the-world-today-threaten-the-very/) [Donald H. Calloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-h-calloway/) > [All the forces of darkness cannot keep you from where God is taking you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/all-the-forces-of-darkness-cannot-keep-you-from-where-god-is-taking/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) ## More by Christopher Moore > [“Love them all," said Renoir. "That is the secret, young man. Love them all." The painter let go of his arm and shrugged. "Then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/love-them-all-said-renoir-that-is-the-secret-young-man-love-them-all/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [“I tried cutting myself to express my heartbreak over Tommy (Lord Flood) rejecting me, but OMFG it hurts like flaming fuck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/i-tried-cutting-myself-to-express-my-heartbreak-over-tommy-lord-flood/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [Canada is a myth people made up to entertain children, like the Tooth Fairy. There’s no such place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/canada-is-a-myth-people-made-up-to-entertain-children-like-the-tooth/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [Sarcasm will make your tits fall off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/sarcasm-will-make-your-tits-fall-off/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [“I hope you are not here to ask me to do my bawdy business- the monkey has a nosebleed and the circus, sir, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/i-hope-you-are-not-here-to-ask-me-to-do-my-bawdy-business-the-monkey/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [The prospect of change is a many-fanged beast, my dear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/the-prospect-of-change-is-a-many-fanged-beast-my-dear/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [“The night was crisp and the stars shone with a cold blue light like loneliness or infinity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/the-night-was-crisp-and-the-stars-shone-with-a-cold-blue-light-like/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [Children see magic because they look for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/children-see-magic-because-they-look-for-it/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [“Abby Von Normal - And I'm like, "Don't change the subject, Kung Pao, what I want to know is if you're ready to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/abby-von-normal-and-i-m-like-don-t-change-the-subject-kung-pao-what-i/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [“You can't just go around blurting out the truth like a prophet with Tourette's syndrome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/you-can-t-just-go-around-blurting-out-the-truth-like-a-prophet-with/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [How could you deal with a creature as devious as woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/how-could-you-deal-with-a-creature-as-devious-as-woman/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [“…turning your ankle hurts like hell, even if you're a superhero.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/turning-your-ankle-hurts-like-hell-even-if-you-re-a-superhero/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [Lonliness evaporated off of them like the steam off dry ice, and by morning it was just a cloud on the ceiling of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/lonliness-evaporated-off-of-them-like-the-steam-off-dry-ice-and-by/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [“Give us a call or you know, flash a searchlight in the sky with your logo on it, because we monitor everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/give-us-a-call-or-you-know-flash-a-searchlight-in-the-sky-with-your/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [“it wasn't so much like the hands of time had stood still here, more like they'd been thrown in the air in exasperation, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/it-wasn-t-so-much-like-the-hands-of-time-had-stood-still-here-more/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) [Explore all 591 Christopher Moore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) ## More Darkness quotes > [“Narrative cannot sustain formlessness any more than light can sustain darkness - it is the antithesis of formlessness, and so it can never truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/narrative-cannot-sustain-formlessness-any-more-than-light-can-sustain/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [“Wait here, wait here!" he cried and jumped up and began to run for help toward a cluster of lights he saw in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/wait-here-wait-here-he-cried-and-jumped-up-and-began-to-run-for-help/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [Strange - is it not? That of the myriads who Before us passed the door of Darkness through, Not one returns to tell us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/strange-is-it-not-that-of-the-myriads-who-before-us-passed-the-door/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [Clear moments are so short. There is much more darkness. More ocean than terra firma. More shadow than form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-zagajewski/clear-moments-are-so-short-there-is-much-more-darkness-more-ocean/) [Adam Zagajewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-zagajewski/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“I promise to respect and protect your aloneness, knowing that everything created must have its period of darkness: child and bulb, poem and personality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/i-promise-to-respect-and-protect-your-aloneness-knowing-that/) [anne morrow lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [The beauty of darkness is how it lets you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-beauty-of-darkness-is-how-it-lets-you-see/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [“Even in darkness your lips taste of sunshine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/even-in-darkness-your-lips-taste-of-sunshine/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [“Defy me not for gleam can only shine in my existence" said Darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/defy-me-not-for-gleam-can-only-shine-in-my-existence-said-darkness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What does he look like? The question was soft- tentative. I knew who he meant. I interlaced my fingers through Rhysand's and squeezed tightly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/what-does-he-look-like-the-question-was-soft-tentative-i-knew-who-he/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/) [Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/) > [“Life is like coffee, the darker it gets, the more it energizes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ankita-singhal/life-is-like-coffee-the-darker-it-gets-the-more-it-energizes/) [Ankita Singhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ankita-singhal/) > [Twinking tears in a sea of black. Soft light in a world of darkness. Tiny wishes in a place of dreams. Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/) Nicole Gentile [Browse all 8,219 Darkness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In order to hold off the Forces of Darkness, you will need a number two pencil and a calendar, preferably one without pictures of kitties on it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher Moore" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/in-order-to-hold-off-the-forces-of-darkness-you-will-need-a-number/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Darkness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/in-order-to-hold-off-the-forces-of-darkness-you-will-need-a-number/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/christopher-moore-353_darkness_in-order-to-hold-off-the-forces-of-darkn_1126284.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/christopher-moore-353_darkness_in-order-to-hold-off-the-forces-of-darkn_1126284.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/christopher-moore-353_darkness_in-order-to-hold-off-the-forces-of-darkn_1126284.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In order to hold off the Forces of Darkness, you will need a number two pencil and a calendar, preferably…” — Christopher Moore", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Christopher Moore", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“In order to hold off the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/in-order-to-hold-off-the-forces-of-darkness-you-will-need-a-number/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/in-order-to-hold-off-the-forces-of-darkness-you-will-need-a-number/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```