Book Quote by Norton Juster
“And when I'm writing, I write a lot anyway. I might write pages and pages of conversation between characters that don't necessarily end up in the book, or in the story I'm working on, because they're simply my way of getting to know the characters”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, 1961
Writing extensive dialogue helps the author explore characters deeply before finalizing the story.
In simple terms: Writing dialogue reveals character depth.
Key Takeaway
Use dialogue to discover character motives.
Themes
creativity
writing
character development
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
process
creative
When to use this quote
- novel drafting
- screenwriting
- creative workshops
Key Concepts
characterization
exploratory writing
Questions to Reflect On
- How does dialogue shape your understanding of a character?
- When is it okay to discard written conversations?
A Different Perspective
Dialogue may never be used in final work, wasting time.
