I Thought About Telling Him The Truth: 'oh, Nothing. Just Having My Soul Exorcised So I Can Roam Around Purgatory, Looking For The Ghost Of The Dead Cowboy Who Used To Live In My Bedroom.

-Meg Cabot

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I Thought About Telling

Meg Cabot

I Thought About Telling Him The Truth: 'oh, Nothing. Just Having My Soul Exorcised So I Can Roam Around Purgatory, Looking For The Ghost Of The Dead Cowboy Who Used To Live In My Bedroom.

Topic

Cowboy

Soul

Ghost

More From Meg Cabot

But I Intend To Enjoy The Weeks I Have Left With You To The Fullest. Because I Know From My Study Of The Philosophy Of Time, Whatever Is Going To Happen In The Future Is Already Unavoidable.

Philosophy

Study

Week

I'm A Liar. And I Can't Stop Thinking About Boys.

Liars

Boys

Thinking

When He Smiled, Something Strange Happened To My Insides. It Was Like They Turned To Liquid.

Liquid

Strange

Happened

No One Wants To Pursue Anything Creative Anymore, Because That's Too Risky. They May Not Get The Kind Of Return On The Financial Investment They've Made In Their Education That They Think They Should.

Thinking

Creative

May

This Is Not To Say That I Wasn't Completely Repulsed. I Mean, I Wasn't Exactly Proud That My Stepbrother Was In There Tongue Wrestling With The Second Stupidest Person In Our Class, After Himself.

Mean

Wrestling

Class

Do Not Chase Boys. Chasing Boys Is Bad. Chasing Boys Can Lead To Horrible Things Like Mansions Going Up Into Flames, Hand Amputations, And Blindness. So Have Some Self Respect And Don't Let Things Get Too Far Before The Wedding Day.

Boys

Self

Flames

When Something Horrible Happens, It's Human Nature To Want To Blame It On Someone. We Want Someone To Be Held Accountable, Even Though Sometimes Things Just Happen.

Want

Blame

Sometimes

They Just Kept Grinning At Me From Over The Stupid Sign, Dopey Because He's Too Dumb To Know Any Better, Doc Because – Well, I Guess Because He Might Have Been Glad To See Me. Doc's Weird That Way. Sleepy, The Oldest, Just Stood There, Looking … Well, Sleepy.

Stupid

Dumb

Might

You Know Your Lamborghini Is On Fire, Right?

Fire

Lamborghini

Knows

Every Seven Miles, In America, There Is At Least One Mcdonald's. Not A Hospital, Mind You, Or A Police Station, But A Mcdonald's, Every Seven Miles. I Mean, That's Sort Of Scary, If You Think About It.

Mean

Thinking

Mcdonalds

It's Simple, Really," Alaric Wulf Said. " Lucien Antonescu Is The Prince Of Darkness." Jon Nodded. "yeah," He Said. "we Know. He's Got A Castle And Stuff.

Simple

Darkness

Castles

Don't Cry." "how Can I Not?" I Asked Him. "you Just Said You Loved Me." "well, Why Else Did You Think All Of This Was Happening?" He Set The Book Aside To Wrap His Arms Around Me. "the Furies Wouldn't Be Trying To Kill You If I Didn't Love You." "i Didn't Know," I Said. Tears Were Trickling Down My Cheeks, But I Did Nothing To Try To Stop Them. His Shirt Was Absorving Most Of Them. "you Never Said Anything About It. Every Time I Saw You, You Just Acted So... Wild." "how Was I Supposed To Act?" He Asked. "you Kept Doing Things Like Throwing Tea In My Face.

Book

Love You

Thinking

Only A Fool Is Never Afraid, Frank. Heroes Are The People Who Carry On Despite Their Fear, Because They Know The Job’s Got To Get Done

Jobs

Hero

People

I Don't Want Water!" Sarah Cries, Her Face Buried Against My Chest. I Can't See What's Going On In The Rest Of The Lobby Beacuse Sarah's Hair Is Flying Up In My Face, Blocking My View. I Want Justice!" She Wails. Well, We'll Get You Some Of That Too." Magda Has Appeared From Out Of Nowhere. "maybe There's Some In The Freezer.

Block

Hair

Views

Nikki "brandon's Never Hurt Anyone. He's Competely Sweet And Adorable." I Choked A Little On The Sip Of Sparkling Water I'k Just Swallowed. If Brandon Was Sweet And Adorable, I Was Satan's Bride.

Sweet

Hurt

Adorable

You Know In Sixth Grade, When They Made All Of Us Girls Go Into This Other Room And Watch A Video About Getting Our Periods And Stuff? I Bet While We Were Gone, The Boys Were Watching A Video About How To Look At Each Other In That Infuriating Way.

Girl

Boys

Watches

I Thought About Telling Him The Truth: 'oh, Nothing. Just Having My Soul Exorcised So I Can Roam Around Purgatory, Looking For The Ghost Of The Dead Cowboy Who Used To Live In My Bedroom.

Cowboy

Soul

Ghost

When You Feel Like An Outsider - For Whatever Reason - You Spend A Lot Of Time Alone.

Outsiders

Reason

Alone Time

Sometimes Between Lunch And Dinner, When There's A Lull, Jill And Shaniqua And I Will Sit Around And Fantasize About What We'd Do If A Real Celebrity Walked Into The Place, Like Chad Michael Murray (although We've Gone Off Him A Bit Since His Divorce) Or Jared Padalecki, Or Even Prince William (you Never Know. He Could Have Gotten His Yacht Lost, Or Whatever.)

Real

Divorce

Lunch

Friend Tim Shakes Hands With Perfect Specimen Of Mankind. Will Never Wash Right Hand Again.

Hands

Perfect

Mankind

There's Nothing Secret About It. Everyone Knows That I Am Waiting For My Real Parents, The King And Queen, To Come Restore Me To My Rightful Throne.

Kings

Queens

Real

I Didn't Even Think About Suggesting He Take The Boots Off. There'd Probably Be A Apocalypse Or Something.

Thinking

Boots

Apocalypse

Oh, Jason, I Couldn't Get My Locker Open...i Know, I Tried Twisting It Right, Then Left, But It Wouldn't Budge. I Guess I'm Just Not Strong Enough. Could You Help Me? Please? Oh, Great. Oh, Jason, You're So Strong... Seriously? That Was Me Now? On The Other Hand , A Guy Was Following Me.

Strong

Hands

Guy

I Wish I Had Taken Spanish Instead Of French In High School. I Could Eavesdrop On A Lot More Conversations On The Subway If I Knew Spanish.

Taken

School

Wish

Hey," Dopey Said When I Was Finished Reading. "how Come They Never Mentioned Me? I'm The One Who Found The Skeleton." "oh, Yeah," Sleepy Said In Disgust. "your Role Was Really Crucial. After All, If It Wasn't For You, The Guy's Skull Might Still Have Been Intact.

Reading

Skeletons

Skulls

But I Guess You Would Look Beatific, Too, If The Man You Had Been In Love With Since The Fifth Grade Had Told You That He Was In Love With You, Too.

Love You

Men

Looks

Smiles Like That Should Be Against The Law. Considering What They Do To A Girl.

Girl

Law

Should

And The Truth Is, I’d Felt Kind Of A Thrill About Wearing Jason’s Big Boy Pants. I Was A Sick Kid, Even Way Back Then.

Kids

Boys

Sick

Because My Heat Was Too Full Of Appreciation For What My Friends-- My Real Friends-- Had Done For Me.

Appreciation

Real

Done

Writing Used To Be My Hobby, But Now That It's My Job, I Have No Hobby - Except Watching Tv And Laying Around The Pool Reading 'u.s. Weekly.' I Have Tried Many Hobbies, Such As Knitting, Pilates, Ballet, Yoga, And Guitar, But None Of Them Have Taken.

Jobs

Yoga

Taken

I Swear, Sometimes I Am Convinced My Life Is Just A Series Of Sketches For America's Funniest Home Videos, Minus All That Pants-dropping Business. Except My Life Really Isn't All That Funny If You Think About It.

Home

Thinking

America

Me: “ngh” Cal: “well Put.” ...... Every Boy's Got One

Boys

Wells

This Is Exactly Why Patrick And I Chose Not To Have Children." He Muttered. "so We Would Never Have To Have Conversations Like This. Andy Yet...here I Am?""if You Could Answer The Question," I Said As Politely As I Could, "that Would Be Great. I Really Don't Want To Have A Freaky Demon Baby, And I Can't Imagine John Wants One, Either

Baby

Children

Here I Am

Weight Doesn’t Matter. It Really Doesn’t. I Mean, It Does If You’re A Model Or Whatever.

Mean

Doe

Weight

Whoa. If High School Was Suppose To Be The Best Years Of My Life - At Least So Far - I Was Truly Destined To Have A Sucky Adulthood.

School

Years

Best Year

This Was Very Exciting. I'd Never Had Two Boys Get Into A Fight Over Me Before. The Fact That One Of The Boys Was My Stepbrother, However, And Held About As Much Romantic Appeal For Me As Max, The Family Dog, Somewhat Dampened My Enthusiasm. And Michael Wasn't Much Of A Catch, Either, When You Actually Thought About It, Being A Potential Murderer And All. Oh, Why Did I Have To Have Such A Couple Of Losers Fighting Over Me? Why Couldn't Matt Damon And Ben Affleck Fight Over Me? Now That Would Be Truly Excellent.

Dog

Couple

Fighting

One Of The Biggest Mistakes Girls Can Make Concerning Their Romantic Life Is Sitting Around Waiting For Their Prince To Find Them, Rather Than Getting Out There And Finding Him Themselves.

Girl

Mistake

Waiting

I May Have Been Dead For The Past Hundred And Fifty Years, Susannah,...but That Doesn't Mean I Don't Know How People Say Good Night. And Generally, When People Say Good Night, They Keep Their Tongues To Themselves.

Good Night

Mean

Past

I Can't Even Tell You How Good It Felt To See Him. It Felt Even Better When He Reached Through The Metal Grate, Wrapped His Fingers Around The Front Of My Shirt, Dragged Me Forward, And Kissed Me Through The Bars. "sorry" He Said-only Not Looking To Sorry, If You Know What I Mean.

Sorry

Mean

Bars

I Think You Get So Wrapped Up In The Book You're Currently Writing, It's Hard To Think About Anything Else. But I Know As Soon As I'm Done With This Book, I'll Move On To Something Else.

Moving

Book

Writing

We Can All Agree That First Loves Can Be A Scary Thing, And That Growing Up Is Hard To Do.

Growing Up

First Love

Scary

Who Knew An Elf Queen Could Be So Vicious!

Queens

Vicious

There Are Nice, Funny, Totally Good-looking Guys Out There. You Just Have To Know Where To Look…and Apparently, Where Not To Look.

Nice

Guy

Looks

You Know. Life's Short. If You Don't Try New Things, You'll Never Know What You're Best At. And You Can Only Make Time For New Things By Quitting The Things You Know Don't Work For You.

Trying

Quitting

Making Time

Sorry, Bex," Jason Said "you Don't Have The Recognizable Facial Characteristics - Such As A Huge Chin, Or A Large Amount Of Real Estate Between The Eyes - That Would Merit The Bestowing Of A Criminal Mastermind Nickname Such As Lockjaw Or Walleye. Whereas Crazytop Here...well, Just Look At Her." "atleast I Can Blow-dry My Hair Straight," I Pointed Out. "which Is More Than What I Can Say For Your Nose, Hawkface.

Sorry

Real

Eye

Cursed?" I Offered, My Voice Croaky Because Of My Unshed Tears. "it Isn't Cursed." John Said Deliberately, Rearranging The Chain Around My Neck, "if You're Wearing It. It's Blessed.

Blessed

Voice

Tears

What's A Mediator You Ask? Oh, A Person Who Acts As A Liason Between The Living And The Dead. Hey, Wait A Minute...what're You Doing With That Strait Jacket?-suze Simon's Imagination

Imagination

Waiting

Hey

I Looked Where He Was Tapping. "local Girl Missing, Feared Dead" Beneath It Was A Photo Or Me-my Most Recent School Photo. "oh No." My Heart Filling With Dread, I Took The Paper From Mr. Smith's Hands. "couldn't They Have Found A Better Picture?

Girl

Heart

School

When I Did See The Story Of Persephone, I Was Really Drawn To It. Persephone, The Goddess Of Spring, Was Kept From Olympus By Her Mother, Demeter, Because Demeter Was Very Worried That The Gods Of Olympus Would Do Something Terrible To Her.

Mother

Spring

Olympus

Summer Is My Favorite Time To Read Mysteries.

Summer

Mystery

My Favorite

I Thought You'd Like It," He Said, Seeming Hurt. "you Look Very Pretty.

Hurt

Looks

Said

Didn't Your Mother Ever Tell You," Rob Asked, "that You're Supposed To Play Hard To Get?" I Looked At His Lips. I Probably Don't Need To Tell You That They're Really Nice Lips, Kind Of Full And Strong-looking. "what," I Wanted To Know, "is That Going To Get Me?

Mother

Strong

Nice

For Each Book, I Do End Up Making A Kind Of Playlist To Fit The Characters.

Book

Character

Kind

There Will Be No More British Guys. Unless They Are Members Of The Royal Family, Of Course.

Guy

Royal

British

Because When You Love Something, You Want To Do It All The Time, Even If No One Is Paying You For It. At Least That's How I Felt About Drawing.

Art

Drawing

Want

Pretty Isn't The Only Thing That Matters - Being Smart And Kind Matters More, Of Course - But All Daughters Should Hear From Their Moms That They Look Pretty Once In A While.

Mom

Daughter

Mother

Why Should Women Have To Fit Into Child Sizes In Order To Be Considered Desirable? That Is Both Sick And Depressing.

Depressing

Children

Order

What's The Point? Was My Attitude. We're All Just Going To Die And Then Not Be Let On The Boat.

Attitude

Boat

My Attitude

And Now Rocky Is Begging Me To Watch Dora The Explorer With Him. I Understand That Millions Of Kids Love Dora And Have Learned To Read Or Whatever From Her Show. But I Wouldn't Mind If Dora Fell Off A Cliff And Took Her Little Pals With Her

Kids

Mind

Watches

Hormones Are Very Powerful Things. We Are Helpless In Their Wake.

Powerful

Hormones

Very Powerful

Jesse, Who Had Not Stirred The Whole Time From The Spot He'd Been Standing, Confident I Could Handle Cheryl Myself, Was Grinning. "it's Every Girl's Dream To Guy To Go To Prom With The Guy She Loves?" He Echoed, Not Just One, But Both Inky Black Eyebrows Raised. "don't Start With Me," I Said. I Tried To Hide My Suddenly Flaming Cheeks By Scraping Away What Was Left Of The Cannolis, And Replacing Them With The Contents Of An Upended Bag Of Chocolate Chip Cookies. "i Have Things To Do.

Girl

Dream

Eyebrows

Sometimes What You Want Is Right In Front Of You. All You Have To Do Is Open Your Eyes And See It.

Eye

Want

Sometimes

But Once I'd Come Up With It, I Realized It Really Was The Perfect Plan. Instead Of Waiting For Maria To Come To Me, I Was Simply Going To Go To Her And, Well... Send Her Back To Where She Came. Or Reduce Her To A Mound Of Quivering Gelatinous Goo. Whichever Came First.

Perfect

Waiting

Firsts

I Really Wanted To Be Veterinarian, But I Got A 410 On My Math Sats.

Math

Veterinarian

Sat

He'd Know That I Think That . . . Well, That Bending An Enemy's Will Through Military Force Is The Absolute Last Way A Nation Ought To Go About Solving Their Problems.

Military

Thinking

Enemy

Screenwriting Is A Much More Collaborative Effort. When You Write A Novel, It's Just You, With Input From Your Editor.

Writing

Editors

Effort

I'm Sorry, Heather, But Everything Was Not Just Fine Before I Got Here. You Know How I Know That? Because You're Dead. Okay? You Are Dead. Dead People Don't Have Lockers, Or Best Friends, Or Boyfriends. You Know Why? Because They're Dead.-suze Simon

Sorry

People

Heathers

The The Tabloids Are Always Going To Be A War For Popularity In The Celeb World.

War

World

Tabloids

Why Had I Taken All Those Useless Classes Like Bio And German When I Should Have Been Taking Lipreading?

Taken

Should Have

Class

My Original Inspiration Was My Mom: A Few Years After The Death Of My Dad, She Started Dating One My Teachers!

Mom

Teacher

Dad

Of Course. I Was On The Run From Evil Spirits That Wanted To Kill Me And Now, According To The Local Paper, The Law. Yet Richard Smith, Cemetery Sexton And Death Deity Scholar, Had A Book For Me To Read In All My Copious Spare Time.

Running

Book

Law

French: Why Does This Language Even Exist? Everyone There Speaks English Anyway.

Speak English

Doe

Language

Meg Cabot Is The Best Author Ever

Meg

I’ve Never Enjoyed Myself More Than I Have The Past Forty-eight Hours, During Which I’ve Been Trapped In A Car With One Of The Worst Drivers I’ve Ever Seen, Run Up The Spanish Steps And Then Down Again So I Could Be On Time To Wait In Line To Perjuer Myself At The American Consulate. And I’d Like To Continue Doing Those Sorts Of Thing With You On A Regular Basis For The Foreseeable Future.

Running

Past

Eight

In High School, I Wanted To Be An Actress. Until I Got To College And Took Some Creative Writing Courses. Then I Decided I Wanted To Become A Novelist.

Writing

School

College

So Go Ahead And Make Your Way Back From The Edge Of Yesterday No One Knows What Can't Be Known 'cause When You Start You're All Alone But Take Enough Steps Take Enough Steps Take Enough Steps And Someday Someday You'll Be Home ---heather Wells, Untitled

Home

Yesterday

Heathers

The Fact Is, I Love Him. He's The Boy I Want And One Day He'll Be Mine.

I Love Him

Boys

Romance

It’s Seemed More Like A Punishment Than A Reward Most Days…” He Said, His Tone One Of Bitter Resignation. Then His Gaze Lifted To Meet Mine, And His Voice Changed. “…at Least Until I Found You.

Punishment

Voice

Found You

> Cracking: No Need To Yell. > Ftlouie: I’m Not Yelling!!! > Cracking: You’re Using Excessive Amounts Of Punctuation, And On-line, That’s Like Yelling.

Yelling

Needs

Lines

Though I Imagine In Your Case, Trying Not To Fall Just Made You Fall Harder.

Fall

Trying

Imagine

It's Only In Fairy Tales That Princesses Can Afford To Wait For The Handsome Prince To Save Them. In Real Life, They Have To Bust Out Of Their Own Coffins And Do The Saving Themselves.

Real

Princess

Waiting

If All People Became Ghosts My Social Life Would Be So Over" - Suze Simon In The Mediator

People

Would Be

Ghost

Every Moment Away From You Feels Like Time Spent In A Sort Of Cell. I Can Think Of Nothing, Dream Of Nothing, But You. Unfortunately, I Will Have To Remain In My Self-inflicted Prison A Bit Longer, Since Work Will Keep Me From Meeting You Tonight. I Can't Seem To Find A Way To Avoid This... However, I Hope This Gift Will Make Up For My Unforgivable Behavior. I Saw This And Though Of You, And St. George. You Have Slain The Dragon. Until We Meet Again, I Am Your Lucien.

Dream

Thinking

Dragons

Some People Can Seem Perfect... Everything About Them Can, On Paper, Be Just Right. Until You Get To Know Them. Really Know Them. Then You Find Out, In The End, While They Might Be Perfect To Every One Else, They Just Aren't Right For You.

People

Perfect

Paper

Lilly Says I Have An Overactive Imagination And A Pathological Need To Invent Drama In My Life.

Drama

Imagination

Needs

It Was Considerably Larger Than A Knife Hilt.

Knives

I Look Around For A Conveniently Loaded Pistol.sadly, There Doesn't Seem To Be One Available, So I Have No Choice But To Answer The Question. - Queen Of Babble Gets Hitched

Queens

Choices

Looks

You And Me?” I Let Out A Stunned Bark Of Laughter. “there Is No You And Me.” “that’s What You Think,” Chaz Says, Tugging On His Coat. “and I’ll Be Damned If I’m Going To Wait Around Until You Figure Out That Isn’t True.” “fine,” I Say “i’m Not Asking You To, Am I?” “no.” Chaz Is Smiling… But Not Like He’s Happy. “but You Would If You Had The Slightest Idea What Was Good For You.” And With That, He Yanks Open The Door And Storms Through It, Slamming It Closed Behind Him With Enough Force To Cause The Windowpanes To Rattle. And Then He’s Gone.

Laughter

Thinking

Doors

But Then I Remembered Something Grandmere Had Once Assured Me Of: No One Has Ever Died Of Embarrassment-never, Not Once In The Whole History Of Time.

Embarrassment

Remembered

Whole

My Mother's Psychologist Says I Have An Overactive Anger Switch, But People Just Keep Pissing Me Off.

Mother

Anger

People

Save Your Rejections So That Later When You Are Famous You Can Show Them To People And Laugh.

Funny

Motivation

Sea

We Were A Very Funny Family. Humour Was The Tool With Which My Brother And I Tried To Get Attention. We Were Always Trying To Be The Funniest.

Brother

Always Trying

Funny Family

Dear Mia, What Can I Say? I Don't Know All That Much About Romance Novels, But I Think You Must Be The Stephen King Of The Genre. Your Book Is Hot. Thanks For Letting Me Read It. Anyone Who Doesn't Want To Publish It Is A Fool. Anyway, Since I Know It's Your Birthday, And I Also Know You Never Remember To Back Anything Up, Here's A Little Something I Made For You. It Would Be A Shame If Ransom My Heart Got Lost Before It Ever Saw The Light Of Day Because Your Hard Drive Crashed. See You Tonight. Love, Michael

Kings

Book

Heart

You Know," I Said, Holding My Ground. "i Gotta Tell You. The Goatee Thing? Yeah, Way Over. And You Know A Little Jewelry Really Does Go A Long Way. Just Something You Might Want To Consider. I'm Actually Glad You Stopped By, Because I Have A Couple Things I've Been Meaning To Say To You. Number One, About Your Wife? Yeah, She's A Skank. And Number Two, You Know That Whole Thing Where You Killed Jesse And Then Buried His Remains Out Back There? Yeah, Way Un-cool.

Couple

Two

Numbers

I Stood On Susan Boone's Front Porch, Feeling Lame. But Then, Since I've Pretty Much Felt Lame My Entire Life, This Was No Big Surprise. On The Other Hand, Usually I Felt Lame For No Particular Reason. This Time I Really Had A Reason To Feel Lame.

Hands

Feelings

Lame

However, Because They Have No Actual Interests Of Their Own (or If They Do, They Squelch Them In Order To Fit In) And Merely Pursue Those That They Think Will Look Best On Their College Apps, They're Zombies.

Thinking

College

Order

Why Can't You Just Get Married In Las Vegas Like Normal Americans?

Vegas

Las Vegas

Normal

Hasn’t Anyone Ever Told You,” Jesse Asked, In A Semi-amused Voice, “ That A Gentleman Never Lays A Hand On A Lady?” Which I Thought Was Kind Of Funny, Considering Where Jesse Had Had His Hand The Last Time I’d Seen Him. But I Thought It Better To Let That Slide.

Hands

Voice

Gentleman

Not Like This Vision Before Us, Who Was Shaking Water Out Of His Slightly Overlong Reddish-brown Hair As He Leaned Over To Lay Down His Board (revealing, As He Did So, The Fact That Beneath His Baggy Swim Trunks—so Weighted Down With Water That They Had Sunk Somewhat Dangerously Low On His Hips—lurked What Appeared To Be An Exceptionally Well-formed Gluteus Maximus)

Hair

Water

Swim

You Just Said You Were Sorry." ... "i Was Only Apologizing," He Said Stiffly, "for Startling You. The Applause Was To Compliment You On The Improvement In Your Life-saving Techniques Since The Last Time You-

Sorry

Compliments You

Lasts

Faint Heart Never Won Fair Lady

Heart

Cowardice

Faint Of Heart

I Like 'em Big. And Stupid. Don't Tell My Husband.

Husband

Stupid

Ems

If You're Writing A Screenplay, You Need To Be Prepared To Let Go: There's A Good Chance The Words You Write Aren't Going To Be The Ones That End Up On Screen.

Letting Go

Writing

Needs

Sleepy Pulled The Car To A Stop In Front Of This Paved Entranceway, Which Was Flanked On Either Side By These Enormous Palm Trees, Kind Of Like The Polynesian Resort At Disney World. In Fact, The Whole Place Had Kind Of A Disney Feel To It. You Know, Really Big, And Kind Of Modern And Fake.

Car

Fake

Tree

I've Only Been Gone A Week," I Reminded Him. Well, A Week's A Long Time. It's Seven Days. Which Is One Hundred And Sixty-eight Hours. Which Is Ten Thousand, Eighty Minutes. Which Is Six Hundred Thousand, For Hundred Seconds.

Eight

Long

Gone

But Who Wants To Hang Aroundfrat Guys ? I Want To Be With Guys Who Have More On Their Minds Than Where The Next Keg Party Is. I Want To Be With Guys Who Care About Making This World A Better Place-the Way Andrew Does. I Want To Be With Guys Who Know That What's Important Isn't The Size Of A Girl's Waistband But The Size Of Her Heart-like Andrew. I Want To Be With Guys Who Are Able To See Past A Girl's Outward Appearance, And Into Her Soul-like Andrew.

Girl

Party

Heart

Whatever. Boris, Must You Constantly Breathe On Me?

Breathe

I Mean It. Like, People Always Talk About How God Doesn’t Ever Give You More Than You Can Handle, But I’m Telling You Right Now, I Cannot Handle This. This Is Just Too Much!

Mean

People

Giving

I Just Want To Let You Know That When I Look Into My Future, I See Nothing But You.” That’s What Chaz Had Whispered In My Ear At Some Point During The Wedding Last Night. Then He’d Whispered. “and You’re Not Even Wearing Spanx.

Night

Looks

Ears

In High School, I Was Very Active In Extracurricular Activities Such As Art, Theatre, And Choir. I Also Wrote For The School Newspaper, But Not Regularly, Because I Never Liked Writing Non-fiction Very Much.

Art

School

Writing

That's Enough Of That," Jesse Said. Next Thing I Knew, He'd Scooped Me Up. Only Instead Of Carrying Me To My Bed And Setting Me Down On It All Romantically, You Know, Like Guys Do To Girls In The Movies, He Just Dumped Me Onto It, So I Bounced Around And Would Have Fallen Off If I Hadn't Grabbed The Edge Of The Mattress. "thanks," I Said, Not Quite Able To Keep All Of The Sarcasm Out Of My Voice.

Girl

Sarcasm

Voice

One Of The Many Advantages Of Having A Boyfriend Who Is Half French Is That His Culinary Repertoire Extends Beyond Mac And Cheese. Plus, There’s The Kissing.

Kissing

Half

Cheese

She'd Realize Steve Was Her Soul Mate And That She Would Never Love Anyone As Much As She Loved Him.

Soul

Soul Mate

Realizing

It Wasn't Until Hope Fluttered Over And Landed At Alex's Feet, Peering Questioningly Up At Him, That He Finally Tore His Hands Away From His Eyes.oh, My God, He Said, Sounding Disgusted. Why Is There A Bird Looking At Me?that's Miss Oliviera's Bird, Henry Volunteered Cheerfully. The Captain Gave It To Her As A Present.kayla Punched Me In The Arm. John's Got His Captain's License? She Whispered. You Are So Lucky. Frank Says He Just Loads Cargo.i Glanced At Frank. I Wondered If Kayla Would Like Him As Much If She Knew The Cargo He Loaded Was Human Souls.

Eye

Feet

Hands

All Of My Characters Are A Little Bit Based On People I Know In Real Life. You Know When You Do That You Have To Change The Character A Little Bit In Case Your Friend Or Your Relative Reads The Book, Because You Don't Want Them To Know You Wrote About Them... They Might Get Mad.

Real

Book

Character

„everyone Wants To Believe That There’s Something Else – Something Great – Waiting For Them On The Other Side. Paradise. Valhalla. Heaven. Their Next – Hopefully Less Horrible – Life.

Believe

Waiting

Heaven

It Is A Documented Fact. I Read It In People Magazine.

People

Magazines

Facts

Did You See Him? I Know The Photo Was Grainy, But He Looks Like One Of Those Death Metal Goth Heads, Or Whatever They’re Called. All Dressed In Black With Long Hair I Took Umbrage At My Mother Describing My Boyfriend This Way. John Was The Lord Of The Underworld. How Else Was He Supposed To Dress?

Mother

Hair

Long

Accept The Things I Cannot Change," I Said. "and Pray For The Courage To Change The Things I Can, As Well As The Wisdom To Know The Difference." The Thing Is... I Know This Is Good Advice. It's Called The Serenity Prayer, And It Really Does Put Things In Perspective (it's Suppose To Be For Recovering Alcoholics, But It Helps Recovering Freakoutaholics, Like Me, As Well).

Prayer

Differences

Perspective

Sometimes In Life, You Fall Down Holes You Can't Climb Out Of By Yourself. That's What Friends And Family Are For-to Help. They Can't Help, However, Unless You Let Them Know You're Down There.

Fall

Family And Friends

Helping

And That Whole Do-able/undo-able Thing? Yeah. Need I Point Out That Neither Ruth Nor I Have Ever "done" Anybody In Our Lives?

Needs

Done

Ruth

And Standing Before Me A Bloodied Bottle Of Absolut In Her Hand, Is Mrs. Allington, Her Pink Jogging Suit Drenched, Her Chest Heaving, Her Eyes Filled With Contempt As She Stared Down At Rachel's Prone Body. Mrs. Allington Shakes Her Head. "i'm A Size Twelve," She Says.

Eye

Hands

Twelve

And In What Fairy Tale Would John Ever Be Any Sane Person's Idea Of Prince Charming Anyway? He Was The Opposite Of Charming. More Like Prince Terrifying.

Opposites

Ideas

Fairy Tale

Life's Not Easy For Unicorns, You Know. We're A Dying Breed.

Dying

Unicorn

Easy

I Can't Kill Someone!" "you Hit Your Brother In The Head With A Fire Extinguisher." "but That Was Family! And I Didn't Kill Him.

Brother

Fire

I Can

There Is A Difference Between Listening And Hearing, Just As There Is A Difference Between Seeing And Knowing.

Differences

Knowing

Listening

I Realized That Life Is So Short: Why Waste One Minute Of It Worrying What Other People Think Or Say About You, Or What Score You Got On Some Test? Why Not Believe What You Want To Believe, And Do What You Love?

Believe

Thinking

Worry

I Won’t Tell You How I Managed To Break In, Since I Don’t Want The Authorities Figuring Out, But Let’s Just Say That If You’re Going To Make A Gate, Make Sure It Reaches All The Way To The Ground.

Want

Way

Break

I Used To Draw And Illustrate, But I Don't Do That Anymore Because I Just Like To Write. I Like To Leave The Illustrations To Actual Professional Illustrators.

Writing

Illustration

Used

Kill Her For Me," She Said In That Whiny Little-girl Voice. Diego Took A Step Toward Me, Wearing An Expression That Told Me He Was Only Too Happy To Oblige His Lady Love. "oh, What?" I Said. I Wasn't Even Scared. I Didn't Care Anymore. The Numbness In My Heart Had Pretty Much Taken Over My Whole Body. "you Always Do What She Tells You? You Know, We Have A Word For That Now. It's Called Being Whipped.

Girl

Taken

Heart

It's Truly Weird How Everyone Just Thinks They Can Bring Me Diet Coke And Everything Will Be Okay. Especially Since It's Pretty Much True.-lizzie Nichols

Thinking

Coke

Okay

Chaz Looks Me Dead In The Eye And Says, 'why Yes, Lizzie. I’m Manically Depressed Because The Girl I’ve Finally Realized I’ve Always Been In Love With, And Who I Was Beginning To Think Just Might Love Me Back, Turned Around And Got Herself Engaged To My Best Friend, Who, Frankly, Doesn’t Deserve Her. Does That Answer Your Question?

Girl

Eye

Thinking

I Lay There In My Black Slip Dress And Wondered If I Ought To Have Worn Pants. I Mean, Who Knew What I Was Going To Find Up There? What If I Had To Do Some Climbing? People Might See My Underwear.

Mean

Climbing

People

Looks Can Be Deceiving.

Looks

Deceiving

Remember... Life Is Short. Each Moment You Have Is Precious. Treasure Every Second. Don't Spend Them Doing Anything You Don't Love.

Life Is Short

Treasure

Remember

Have You Tried This Shrimp? It's Freaking Amazing. Would You Get Away From Me? I Hate You. You're So Moody. Just Because I Kidnapped You And Tried To Force You To Be My Girlfriend. I Thought You Would Be Over That By Now.

Girlfriend

Hate

Would Be

Even If Vampires Were Stupid. Especially American Vampires. They Hung Out In Places Alaric Himself Would Never Have Gone, Especially If He Were Immortal. Such As High Schools. And Walmart.

Stupid

School

Vampire

Honey, Some Boys Stopped By To See You. They Had Wood.

Boys

Honey

Woods

I Love Jezebel.com For The Latest On Fashion, Style, And Celebrity Gossip. I Also Love Gawker.com For New York Celebrity Sightings, And Galleycat.com And Trashionista.com For Book News.

Fashion

New York

Book

You'll Blow Up A Helicopter, But You Won't Go Out With Me? What Is Wrong With You?

Relationship

Blow

Helicopters

He Is The Dark Prince. The All-powerful One. The Leader Of The Creatures Of The Night." Then Meena Said, "i'm Confused Then. I Thought The Prince Of Darkness Was The Devil." [......] "wait," Meena Said, Blinking. " Are You Saying....." "yes," Alaric Said. "that Is Exactly What I'm Saying." Jon Looked Blank. "i Don't Understand. Is He The Devil Or Not?" "lucien Antonescu," Alaric Said. "is A Vampire. Not Just Any Vampire, But The Ruler Of All Vampires.

Powerful

Confused

Dark

What's A Mediator You Ask? Oh, A Person Who Acts As A Liason Between The Living And The Dead. Hey, Wait A Minute...what're You Doing With That Strait Jacket?-suze Simon's Imagination

Imagination

Waiting

Hey

Oh, That's Just Great. I Come All The Way Back Here, Risking Major Brain Cell Burnout, And You Don't Even Believe Me? I'm Basically Guaranteeing Myself A Lifetime Of Heartbreak, And All You Have To Say Is That You Think I'm Not Right In The Head?

Believe

Thinking

Cells

You Know What You Sound Like? A Jealous Girl Friend. And How Are Things On Planet You Wish?

Girl

Jealous

Wish

Do Not Listen To Her," Alaric Said. "she Is Going To Tell You In Some Kind Of Code Only The Two Of You Will Understand, Because You Are Siblings, To Call The Police On Your Cell Phone. But If You Do That, I Will Kill You And Dispose Of Your Body In A Place Where No One Will Find It. The River, I Think. Your Doorman Is So Stupid, He Won't Notice If I Leave This Building Carrying A Body In A Rolled-up Carpet.

Sibling

Stupid

Thinking

My Heart Is Broken. It Really Is. All The Signs Are There. I Can't Sleep- Not Even Burgers. Every Time The Phone Rings, My Pulse Leaps... But It's Never For Me, It's Never Him.

Heart

Sleep

Phones

But Things Were Different Now. I Finally Had My Head -pun Intended- On Straight.

Different

Pun

Nice To Know I Have That Effect On Boys. I Mean, Christopher Doesn't Even Know I Exist, And Brandon Stark Practically Throws Up When He Sees Me. Having My Brain Transplated Into A Supermodel's Body Was Doing Wonders For My Love Life.

Nice

Love Life

Mean

Susannah." My Dance Partner's Breath Was Soft Against My Cheek. "susannah...." Yeah. In My Dreams. In Real Life, The Voice Calling My Name Wasn't A Bit Masculine. That's Because It Belonged To A Twelve-year-old Boy.

Dream

Real

Boys

I Wonder What It's Like To Live In Tinaville. I Get The Feeling It's Very Shiny There.

Feelings

Wonder

When I Was A Kid, I Had A Couple Of Really Good Friends, Like Some Really Good Best Friends, But I Was Really Shy Other Than That.

Couple

Kids

Good Friend

I Snatched The Paper Away From Dopey. "hey," He Yelled. "i Was Reading That!" "let Somebody Who Can Pronounce All The Big Words Have A Try," I Said.

Reading

Trying

Hey

Someone Hot Is Sometimes Can't Be The Person They Appear To Be- Except For Their Hotness... That Cannot Be Denied.

Hot

Sometimes

Persons

But As You Age, You Lose Other, Even More Important Things, Like Friends-hopefully Only Bad Friends, Who Maybe Weren't As Good For You As You Once Thought. With Luck, You'll Be Able To Hang On To Your True Friends, The Ones Who Were Always There For You....even When You Thought They Weren't. Because Friends Like That Are More Precious Then All The Tiaras In The World

True Friend

Bad Friend

Luck

And I'm Sure Than In Poland, Or Somewhere, It Is Considered Cool To Drive A Porsche And Wear Necklaces And Black Silk, But At Least Back In Brooklyn If You Did Those Things You Were Either A Drug Dealer Or From New Jersey.

Drug

Black

Brooklyn

I Was An Unhappy Child, And That Puts Me Off Having A Child Of My Own.

Children

Unhappy

My Own

So Uncle Stuart Is Marrying That Lady? Mom Says She's Going To Be Our Aunt Amy. She's Okay Except She Would't Try Any Peanut Butter M&m Chocolate Chip Fudge Cookies. They Were Good- You Ate Five, Remember? But She Said She Was On A Special Diet, And Couldn't Eat Something Called Carbs. We Told Her We Didn't Put Any Carbs In Our Cookies, Just M&ms, But She Said M&ms Were Carbs. Uncle Mitch, What's Carbs? Email To Uncle Mitch From Haily And Brittany.

Mom

Uncles

Aunt

Foxy Girls Know That Silence May Be Golden-but Only For Four Seconds. Anything Longer And You're Heading For Awkward Avenue.

Girl

Silence

Awkward

It’s Only By Studying The Mistakes Of The Past,” Lucien Said Mildly, “that We Can Even Have A Future

Mistake

Past

Study

Sometimes I Just Want To Write A Really Intense Love Scene. But I Can't Do That In My Books For Teens, Or Parents Will Complain - Believe Me, I've Tried.

Believe

Book

Writing

I Get Accused All The Time Of Having A Big Mouth. But If You Ask Me, Guys Gossip Way More Than Girls Do.

Girl

Gossip

Guy

I Have Nothing Against Sean Penn. I Don't Even Mind That He Ended Up Divorcing Madonna. I Mean, I Still Like Shia Labeouf Even Though He Chose To Star In Transformers, Which Turned Out To Be A Movie About Robots From Space. That Talk. Which Is Just As Bad As Choosing To Divorce Madonna, If You Ask Me

Stars

Mean

Divorce

I Stare At Her, As Dumbstruck As If She'd Just Admitted She's A Scientologist With An Invitation To Join Tom And Katie On The Spaceship When It Shows Up.

Spaceships

Staring

Shows

And Try To Remember What We Discussed, Susannah. A Mediator Is Someone Who Helps Others Resolve Conflicts. Not Someone Who, Er, Kicks Them In The Face.

Helping Others

Trying

Faces

I Was Too Lazy To Start A Whole New Story, So I Just Stuck A Princess Into The Story I Was Working On... And The Princess Diaries Was Born!

Princess

Lazy

Diaries

Being Brave Is When You Have To Do Something Because You Know It Is Right, But At The Same Time, You Are Afraid To Do It, Because It Might Hurt Or Whatever. But You Do It Anyway.

Strength

Hurt

Bravery

I Really Liked Drama And Being In Plays, So When I Was Playing A Character Onstage And I Could Act Like Somebody Else, Then I Wasn't Scared Or Nervous, But I Didn't Like Meeting New People When I Had To Be Myself. That Was Scary.

Drama

Character

Play

...men Aren't In Touch With Their Emotions, And Don't Share Enough [?]

Men

Emotion

Enough

I Just Got A Fortune Cookie That Says "turn Off Your Computer And Read A Book" Which Is Odd Because I'm Writing A Book...on My Computer!

Book

Writing

Fortune Cookie

It Was Only When They'd Rounded The Corner Toward The Penguin That We Finally Sat Up, Laughing Semi-hysterically. "oh My God, Did You See Her Face?" Becca Asked Between Guffaws. "'there's Something In My Hair!'" "that Was Fantastic, Crazytop," Jason Said, Wiping Tears Of Laughter From His Eyes. "best Master Plan Yet.

Laughter

Eye

Hair

I Was In Love With Scott Bennett. That I Had Been In Love With Him My Whole Life, Practically.

Whole Life

Been In Love

Whole

You Can't Turn Love On And Off Like A Faucet.

Turns

And Off

My Shoulders Sagged. Really, Is It Too Much To Ask That I Be Able To Come Home From A Long Day Of Work And Relax? Oh, No. I Have To Come Home And Read A Bunch Of Letters Written To The Love Of My Life By His Fiancée, Who, If I Am Correct, Had Him Killed A Hundred And Fifty Years Ago. Then, As If That Is Not Bad Enough, He Wants Me To Explain The Vietnam War.

War

Home

Years

I Might Look Like A Honey-eyed Schoolgirl On The Outside, In My Skirt With Its Regulation Four-inches-above-the-knee Hem. But I'll Rip Those Tassels Off Your Shoes, Old Man. Just Try Googling Me.

Rip

Men

Shoes

You;re Colling Me, So I Fugure You Must Not Hate Me Anymore. Does This Mean You Wanna Go Out? Ii'm Free Tonight. I Mean , I Have Plans, But I Can Break Them. For You. Brandon, You Kidnapped Me. And Then You Made The Only Person I'll Ever Love In My Life Hate Me. I Completely Despise You. So..., I Take That As A No, You Do Not Want To Go Out With Me Tonight.

Hate

Mean

Doe

Michael Has Never Cried During A Broadway Show. Except In That Scene Where Tarzan's Ape Father Is Brutally Murdered. And That Was Only Because He Was Laughing So Hard.

Father

Laughing So Hard

Broadway

If The Guy Likes/loves You, He Won't Care If You Are A Good Kisser Or Not. He Should Like You For What You Are - Not How You Kiss.

Love You

Kissing

Guy

Always Be True To Your Friends, Just As You Are To Yourself.

Being True

God, What If Tmz Got Hold Of The Truth About Me? What A Liar I Am, I Mean? What Kind Of Role Model Am I? I Make Vanessa Hudgens Look Like Mother Freaking Teresa. Minus The Whole Nudity Thing. Because I'm Not About To Take Naked Photos Of Myself And Send Them To My Boyfriend.

Mother

Liars

Mean

And Eternity Is A Long Time. So If You Have To Spend It With Someone I Could See Wanting To Spend It With Someone Impossible...but Interesting.

Long

Interesting

Impossible

I've Never Even Been To Long Island

Islands

Long

Long Island

Your Assignment,' He Bellowed At Kelly, 'was To Make A Persuasive Argument. Demanding To Know Whether Detractors Of Your Position Are On Crack Is Not Arguing Persuasively.

Cracks

Arguing

Argument

And I'm Going To Tell The Truth: I Didn't Like That Sean Penn Movie Into The Wild So Much. Yes! I Know It Was Critically Acclaimed. I Know It Won All These Awards! It's Very Sad That A Boy Is Dead And All. But I Thought The Movie Enchanted, With The Singing Princess And The Chipmunk And The People Dancing In Central Park, Was Cuter. So There!

Princess

Boys

Awards

I Know. I Seriously Need To Just Give Up Men Entirely. I Wonder If Episcopalians Can Enter Convents?

Giving Up

Men

Needs

Wait. Why Am I Thinking About Krispy Kremes? We’re Supposed To Be Exercising.

Food

Exercise

Thinking

It Will Hurt. Because Deep Down, I'll Know There Was Someone.. Someone I Was Supposed To Have Met. Only I'll Never Meet Him. I'll Go Through My Whole Life Waiting For Him To Come Along, Only He Never Will. What Kind Of Life Is That?

Hurt

Waiting

Kind

Emerson:bite Me Whitne:you Wish

Wish

Bite Me

Bites

The Peace Sign Is With Two Fingers Not One.

Two

Fingers

Peace Sign

But I Don't Care What Megan Fox Or Jessica Biel Say: There Are Definite Advantages To Being The Hottest Girl On The Planet. Number One Was That I Got Paid For It. A Lot.

Girl

Numbers

Care

Write The Kind Of Story You Would Like To Read. People Will Give You All Sorts Of Advice About Writing, But If You Are Not Writing Something You Like, No One Else Will Like It Either.

Kids

Writing

Giving

Look, Mr. Uh, Wulf I Appreciate Your Trying To Warn Me About This, Ireally Do. But There's No Such Thing As Vampires. They're Made-up. We Writers Made Them Up. I'm Sorry We Did Such A Good Job That We Made The Whole World Paranoid, But It's True. They're Fictional. Blame Bram Stoker. He Started It.

Jobs

Sorry

Appreciate

And Generally, When People Say Good Night, They Keep Their Tongues To Themselves.

Good Night

Night

People

You’re Not A One Hundred Dollar Bill, Not Everyone Is Going To Like You.

Dollar Bills

Dollars

Like You

They've Arrested Sebastian! For M-murder! You've G-got To Stop Them! He D-didn't Do It! He Can't Have Done It! He Doesn't Believe In Murder! He's A V-vegetarian!

Believe

Done

Vegetarian

Hope Springs Eternal, Even In The Heart Of A Fat Girl.

Girl

Spring

Heart

I've Come To The Conclusion That, Aside From Nazis, The Taliban, And Possibly The Honey Badger, There Is No One On The Planet More Merciless Than A Teenage Girl Once She's Decided She Dislikes You.

Girl

Teenage

Honey

They Say It’s Always Darkest Until Right Before The Dawn. I’ve Worked On Enough Projects To Know How True This Saying Really Is.

Dawn

Enough

Projects

And I Like A Good Horror Story As Much As The Next Person So Long As They Kill Off Some Men Too And Not Just Girls. But The Voices Joan Heard Were Real. There’s Clear And Substantiated Proof They Were Real. She Won Battles That Would Otherwise Have Been Lost Because Of What Those Voices Told Her In Advance Of Them Allowing The French Generals To Strategize In Ways Completely Different Than They Did Before Joan Came Along. People’s Lives Were Saved Because Of What Those Voices Told Her.

Girl

Real

Men

Mia, I'm Not Sorry. And I'll Wait. Love, Michael.

Sorry

Waiting

Mia

I Don't Have Kids, But In Many Ways I Feel I've Had Them Already. I Don't Want To Say I Raised My Brothers - That Sounds Too Strong - But Actually I Do Feel Like That A Bit.

Brother

Strong

Kids

Understanding Quotes: Their Essence and Application

Quotes, or quotations, are powerful tools in communication, encapsulating ideas, emotions, and wisdom in concise expressions. They serve various purposes across different contexts, from academic writing to everyday conversation.

1. Defining Quotes

A quote is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. It can be a direct replication of words spoken or written by another individual, often used to support arguments, provide evidence, or convey profound insights.

2. The Importance of Quotes

2.1. Enhancing Credibility

Incorporating quotes from authoritative sources can bolster the credibility of your work. By referencing experts or primary sources, you demonstrate thorough research and a solid foundation for your arguments.

2.2. Providing Evidence

Quotes serve as concrete evidence to support claims. In academic and professional writing, they validate points made, offering readers a basis to trust the information presented.

2.3. Conveying Emotions and Perspectives

Quotes can encapsulate emotions and perspectives succinctly. They allow writers to express complex feelings or viewpoints through the words of others, often more eloquently than paraphrasing.

3. Types of Quotes

3.1. Direct Quotes

Direct quotes involve copying the exact words from a source, enclosed in quotation marks. They are used when the original wording is significant or particularly well-expressed.

3.2. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Indirect quotes restate the original message in your own words. While not enclosed in quotation marks, they still require proper attribution to the original source.

3.3. Block Quotes

Block quotes are lengthy direct quotations, formatted as a separate block of text. They are typically used for quotes exceeding a certain length, varying by citation style. For instance, in APA style, quotes longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotes.

4. Proper Usage of Quotes

4.1. Contextual Relevance

Ensure that the quote you choose is relevant to the topic and adds value to your content. Avoid inserting quotes solely for decorative purposes.

4.2. Integration into Your Writing

Seamlessly integrate quotes into your writing. Introduce them appropriately and follow up with analysis or commentary to connect them to your main points.

4.3. Attribution and Citation

Always attribute quotes to their original authors and provide proper citations according to the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

5.1. Overusing Quotes

Relying too heavily on quotes can overshadow your voice. Use them sparingly to support your arguments, not replace them.

5.2. Lack of Analysis

Presenting a quote without analysis or explanation can leave readers questioning its relevance. Always follow up with your interpretation or discussion.

5.3. Misquoting or Taking Out of Context

Ensure that quotes are accurate and not taken out of context, as this can mislead readers and undermine your credibility.

6. Quotes in Different Contexts

6.1. Academic Writing

In academic writing, quotes are used to support arguments, provide evidence, and engage with existing literature. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism.

6.2. Journalism

Journalists use quotes to provide firsthand accounts, add authenticity, and present multiple perspectives within a story.

6.3. Literature and Creative Writing

In literature, quotes can be used to convey character voices, themes, and stylistic elements. They enrich narratives and provide depth to storytelling.

7. Punctuation and Formatting

Understanding the correct punctuation and formatting of quotes is essential:

Quotation Marks: Always enclose direct quotes within quotation marks.

Punctuation Placement: In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks, while colons and semicolons are placed outside.

Block Quotes: For longer quotes, format them as block quotes without quotation marks, and indent the entire block.

8. Ethical Considerations

Ethical use of quotes involves accurate representation, proper attribution, and respect for intellectual property. Misuse can lead to plagiarism, which carries serious academic and professional consequences.

9. Tools for Managing Quotes

Utilize tools like citation generators and plagiarism checkers to manage quotes effectively. These tools help ensure proper formatting and originality in your writing.

Conclusion

Quotes are invaluable in enriching content, providing evidence, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. When used appropriately, they enhance the quality and credibility of your writing. Always ensure relevance, proper integration, and ethical usage to maximize their impact.

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Billy Joel

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe