Bad quotes Quote by Martijn Benders
““To me, quotes function as the sunscreen against a writers brilliance. As soon as I cannot stand to look at the magnificence of the acropolis of pure thought the writer managed to doll out in the cognizant chaos - I quote him, and by doing so I am discharged and freed. On the other hand, even while I do acknowledge that some things cannot be quoted, I vehemently distrust any writer whose army of quotes does not consist of impeccable warriors but the sort of bootless canon fodder that caused one to write in the first place, wishing to circumlocute that strappant lot. No writer can ever recover from bad quotes. I check the army of quotes, and if it has no sporting chance against a simple pack of butter then I will simply never ever read this person. One often hears short stories are the benchmark of great writers, but if you ask me, I'd rather first look at their quotes.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Role of Quotes in Writing” by Martijn Benders, 2015
Quotes serve as a protective filter for writers, but reliance on weak or irrelevant quotes can undermine credibility and originality.
In simple terms: Quotes protect or harm a writer’s work.
Key Takeaway
Use strong, relevant quotes; avoid over‑reliance on poor ones.
Themes
writing craft
critical thinking
literary analysis
authenticity
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
literary
instructional
When to use this quote
- Manuscript editing
- literature reviews
- academic papers
- creative writing workshops
Key Concepts
quotations
intellectual honesty
creative integrity
Questions to Reflect On
- Which quotes truly enhance your argument?
- When should you discard a quote?
A Different Perspective
Over‑quoting may stifle original voice and lead to plagiarism concerns.
