Books Quote by Holly Black
![“I really love folklore. I had read a lot of faerie folklore that informed the books I wrote. I also really love vampire folklore; my eighth grade research paper was on [it]. [With this project,] it was really helpful to think about the way you can use language. When you're writing about faeries…” quote by Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/761/holly-black-329_books_i-really-love-folklore-i-had-read-a-lot_844280.jpg)
““I really love folklore. I had read a lot of faerie folklore that informed the books I wrote. I also really love vampire folklore; my eighth grade research paper was on [it]. [With this project,] it was really helpful to think about the way you can use language. When you're writing about faeries, you can't call anyone "fey"; there are certain words that become forbidden because they're actualized in what faeries do. When you write about vampires, you could think the same way about things like the word "red" or "hunger"--it's interesting to think of the ways that the words have double meanings, or different meanings that shifted.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast "The Creative Process", 2021
The speaker discusses how folklore informs her writing and how language constraints shape world‑building, using forbidden words as a tool for consistency and depth.
In simple terms: Folklore shapes writing; word choices matter.
Key Takeaway
Use language rules to enrich story worlds.
Themes
writing
world‑building
language
folklore
creativity
Mood
reflective
inspired
Type
instructional
analytical
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- fantasy world design
- character development
- editing
- teaching
Key Concepts
mythology
semantics
symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance linguistic constraints with narrative flexibility?
- What other folklore elements could you incorporate?
A Different Perspective
Relying on forbidden words can limit creative freedom if applied too rigidly.
![“I find it disturbing that one anthropologist's readings of transcripts are being listened to more seriously than 40 senior health service clinicians. [Referring to Jean La Fontaine's 1994 research paper for the DOH]” quote by Valerie Sinason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ed4/valerie-sinason-38025_child-abuse-allegati_i-find-it-disturbing-that-one-anthropolo_1637950.jpg)
