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I’ll give you the whole secret to short story writing. Here it is. Rule 1: Write stories that please yourself. There is no Rule 2.

O. Henry

Except in streetcars one should never be unnecessarily rude to a lady.
O. HENRY

Exception Necessary Rude Woman
Hospitality in the prairie country is not limited. Even if your enemy passes your way, you must feed him before you shoot him.
O. HENRY

Country Enemy Hospital Pass Praise Yourself
It was beautiful and simple, as truly great swindles are.
O. HENRY

Beautiful Greatness Simplicity True
A good story is like a bitter pill, with the sugar coating inside of it.
O. HENRY

Creativity Pill Story
We can’t buy one minute of time with cash; if we could, rich people would live longer.
O. HENRY

Cash Live People Time
There is a saying that no man has tasted the full flavor of life until he has known poverty, love, and war.
O. HENRY

Love Man Poverty Taste War
The true adventurer goes forth aimless and uncalculating to meet and greet unknown fate.
O. HENRY

Adventure Calculate Fate Greatness True
If man knew how women pass the time when they are alone, they’d never marry.
O. HENRY

Man Marriage Pass Time Woman
The lonesomest thing in all the world is a soul when it is making ready to go on its mysterious, far journey.
O. HENRY

Journey Mystery Soul World
All great men have declared that they owe their sucess to the aid and encouragement of some brilliant woman.
O. HENRY

Brilliant Declare Encouragement Greatness Woman
Love and business and family and religion and art and patriotism are nothing but shadows of words when a man’s starving!
O. HENRY

Business Family Love Man Religion Starve
A burglar who respects his art always takes his time before taking anything else.
O. HENRY

Art Himself Respect Time
She had become so thoroughly annealed into his life that she was like the air he breathed–necessary but scarcely noticed.
O. HENRY

Air Breathe Life Necessary Notice Scarce
Now, girls, if you want to observe a young man hustle out after a pick and shovel, just tell him that your heart is in some other fellow’s grave. Young men are grave-robbers by nature.
O. HENRY

Grave Heart Nature Observation Young Yourself
A straw vote only shows which way the hot air blows.
O. HENRY

Air Hot Show Vote Way
By rights you’re a king. If I was you, I’d call for a new deal.
O. HENRY

Call Deal King Right Yourself

I’ll give you the whole secret to short story writing. Here it is. Rule 1: Write stories that please yourself. There is no Rule 2.

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I’ll give you the whole secret to short story writing. Here it is. Rule 1: Write stories that please yourself. There is no Rule 2.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More O. Henry Quotes