Patricia C. Wrede Quotes & Sayings

I am determined to have the headache Thursday, if I have to hit myself with a rock to do it. — Patricia C. Wrede

You'd think they'd been raised in a palace for all the manners they have." "If they're princes, they probably have been raised in palaces," Mendanbar said. "Princes usually are." "Well, no wonder none of them have any manners, then." The squirrel sniffed. "They ought to be sent to school in a forest, where people are polite. You don't see any of my children behaving like that, no, sir. Please and thank you and yes, sir and no, ma'am - that's how I brought them up, all twenty-three of them, and what's good enough for squirrels is good enough for princes, I say. — Patricia C. Wrede

The ceremony went by in a blur, but Mendanbar was pretty sure he hadn't made any mistakes because suddenly he was kissing Cimorene and everyone was cheering. He felt like cheering himself, except he would have had to stop kissing Cimorene. — Patricia C. Wrede

Anyone who is known as the Mysterious Marquis ought to have far more interesting reasons for his behavior than a stupid dispute with Sir Hilary. — Patricia C. Wrede

Come one, come all! Prepare to be amazed by the one, the only - Mairelon the Magician! — Patricia C. Wrede

You mean he thinks I'm going to get MORE offers?" Kim said, appalled.
"He doesn't seem to be the only one that thinks so." Mairelon said. "Aunt Agatha mentioned it to me yesterday afternoon. Is there anyone, or would you rather I turn the lot of them away?"
Kim shook her head. "There isn't anyone."
Except you. — Patricia C. Wrede

In short, if we wish to see anything sensible done about the situation, we will clearly have to do it ourselves. — Patricia C. Wrede

It took us most of the morning to put together the letter she sent to the Frontier Management Department, and I learned a lot about how to be frigidly polite and still leave somebody feeling like they'd been spanked. — Patricia C. Wrede

She said that time and death are the greatest enemies all of us must face, and the only weapon stronger than they are is love. — Patricia C. Wrede

You don't understand," Mairelon said dully. "Kim doesn't want to marry a toff."
Was that what was bothering him? "Well, of all the bacon-brained, sapskulled, squirish, buffle-headed nod cocks!" Kim said with as much indignation as she could muster. "I was talking about the marquis, not about you!"
Mairelon's eyes kindled. "Then you would?"
"You've whiddled it," Kim informed him.
As he kissed her again, she heard Mrs. Lowe murmur, "Mind your language, Kim," and Shoreham say in an amused tone, "Yes, Your Grace, I believe that
was an affirmative answer. — Patricia C. Wrede

Mendanbar took a deep breath. "You could stay here. At the castle, I mean. With me." This wasn't coming out at all the way he had wanted it to, but it was too late to stop now. He hurried on, "As Queen of the Enchanted Forest, if you think you would like that. I would."
"Would you, really?"
"Yes," Mendanbar said, looking down. "I love you, and - and - "
"And you should have said that to begin with," Cimorene interrupted, putting her arms around him.
Mendanbar looked up, and the expression on her face made his heart begin to pound.
"Just to be sure I have this right," Cimorene went on with a blinding smile, "did you just ask me to marry you?"
"Yes," Mendanbar said. "At least, that's what I meant."
"Good. I will."
Mendanbar tried to find something to say, but he was too happy to think. He leaned forward two inches and kissed Cimorene, and discovered that he didn't need to say anything at all. — Patricia C. Wrede

Men can be such provoking creatures. One would think the entire world and everything in it were made only for their enjoyment and approval. — Patricia C. Wrede

And on top of everything, Mairelon hadn't even said she looked nice. — Patricia C. Wrede

In fact, "talent" is as common as mud; what's rare is the motivation to sit down and actually do something with one's talent, the discipline to do it regularly, and the persistence to stick with it until it's finished. — Patricia C. Wrede

Cecy, I do think it is unfair. People in novels are fainting all the time, and I never can, no matter how badly I need to. — Patricia C. Wrede

If you want to build a car, you don't slap a bunch of iron ore, some sand, a rubber tree, and a couple of cows together and call it good — Patricia C. Wrede

DEEP IN THE ENCHANTED FOREST, in a neat gray house with a wide porch and a red roof, lived the witch Morwen and her nine cats. The cats were named Murgatroyd, Fiddlesticks, Miss Eliza Tudor, Scorn, Jasmine, Trouble, Jasper Darlington Higgins IV, Chaos, and Aunt Ophelia, and not one of them looked anything like a witch's cat. — Patricia C. Wrede

Murphy is a writer's best friend, but you have to keep an eye on him, or he'll steal the silver. — Patricia C. Wrede

That is certainly one way to look at the matter. There are others. — Patricia C. Wrede

If a beauty like Letitia Tarnower couldn't interest Mairelon, and a brilliant wizard like Renee D'Auber hadn't attracted him in all the years they'd known one another, what chance did she, Kim, have? — Patricia C. Wrede

Kim lifted the lid. Inside, on a small pillow covered in white velvet, lay a gold sunburst the size of her thunbnail, hung on a delicate chain. It looked a little like the first spell she had ever cast, a small explosion of light re-created in metal, and she was not really surprised to find the card with the single word "Mairelon" scraled across it. — Patricia C. Wrede

Four of us,' said Morwen. The cats yowled. 'Yes, I know, and of course you're coming, but you can't carry a bucket of soapy water, so for the purposes of this discussion it doesn't matter,' she told them.
The cats gave her an affronted look, turned their backs, and began making indignant little noises at each other. — Patricia C. Wrede

After this, anything might happen. Anything at all. - The End, Mairelon the Magician 1 — Patricia C. Wrede

She probably enjoys cutting up everyone's happiness. Not to mention cutting up other parts of people; given her penchant for poisoning people and turning them into beech trees, I fail to see how she has reached thirty without leaving a trail of bodies behind her. — Patricia C. Wrede

We have made the perilous journey through the caves to see the princess Cimorine, newly come to these caverns, to comfort her and together bemoan our sad and sorry fate," the first princess said haughtily. "Tell her we are here."
"I'm Cimorine," Cimorine said. "I don't need comforting, and I'm not particularly sad or sorry to be here, but if you'd like to come in and have some tea, you're welcome. — Patricia C. Wrede

Of course it doesn't make sense." Lady Wendall said. "The rules of society rarely do. — Patricia C. Wrede

Allowing anyone, even Mairelon, not only to come close to her, but to circle her waist with his arms brought back old fears, though she had to admit that the sensation was pleasurable on those rare occasions when she could relax enough to enjoy it. — Patricia C. Wrede

The Marquis of Harsfield Lord Franton, arrived after you left." Lady Endall said with some satisfaction. "He said he wished to be presented to Kim, and was quite dissapointed to find she was not there."
"Harsfield? He must be nearly eighty." Mairelon said, frowning. "What does he want with Kim?"
"No, no, Richard, you're thinking of the fourth Marquis of Harsfield," Lady Wendall said. "He died last year; it is the fifth Marquis who was asking after Kim. He is quite a young gentleman
not much above twenty, I think. He was the grandson of the previous marquis."
"Oh. I expect that's all right, then." Mairelon said, but he continued to frown. — Patricia C. Wrede

Really, Agatha, you might have told me."
"Told you what?" Mairelon said. "That my ward was once a street thief? I didn't think it was a secret."
"A street thief?" Letitia wrinkled her nose and looked at Kim with disfavor. "How horrid."
"I think it is the most romantic story I have ever heard", Miss Matthews said with conviction. — Patricia C. Wrede

Oliver has stated many times his dislike of hearing advice from his younger sister, so it is his own fault if he has not got sense enough to see which way the wind is blowing. — Patricia C. Wrede

Magic and music are brother and sister," he replied as Starbrow picked his way through the fog. "The bard's craft has always been half magic; in times past minstrels and magicians were often one and the same. Perhaps it is because we must sing so frequently of the old days and the magic of them that we do — Patricia C. Wrede

Ballimore! Ballimore, where's the inkwell?' Dobbilan's voice echoed down the corridor, interrupting Cimorene in mid-sentence. 'Where are you? Why can't I find anything around here when I want it?'
'Because you never look in the right place, dear,' Ballimore called. 'The inkwell is in the kitchen next to the grocery list, where it's been for the past six months, and I'm in the dining room. Which is where you'd be if you'd done what I asked you to, instead of wandering off in all directions. — Patricia C. Wrede

News of Daniel's disappearance does not alarm me as it might have done a week ago. Given recent events, very little alarms me as it might have done a week ago. I feel as if my supply of alarm has been exhausted, at least temporarily. — Patricia C. Wrede

It's been three years since I graduated, and everyone's still waiting for me to do something spectacular," the stone prince said, lengthening his stride. "The rest of my classmates are already making names for themselves. George started killing dragons right away, and Art went straight home and pulled some sort of magic sword out of a rock. Even the ones nobody expected to amount to much have done something. All Jack wanted to do was go back to his mother's farm and raise beans, and he ended up stealing a magic harp and killing a giant and all sorts of things. I'm the only one who hasn't succeeded. — Patricia C. Wrede

You mean I'm going to have to do a spell in front of a bunch of toffs?" Kim said, outraged that no one had mentioned this before she had agreed to this come-out.
"Yes, exactly", Lady Wendall said serenely. "You and Richard have plenty of time to design something that will reflect your unique background, as well as demonstrating your abilities as a wizard. I am looking forward to seeing what you decide upon."
"I could pick everyone's pockets at once with magic, "Kim said, still disgruntled. "That'd 'reflect my unique background', all right". — Patricia C. Wrede

May you and your triple cursed wash water turn purple with orange spots and fall down a bottomless pit! — Patricia C. Wrede

Sometimes I couldn't help thinking that the unluckiest thing about being the thirteenth child was having all those older brothers and sisters telling me what to do. — Patricia C. Wrede

She who laughs last may not invariably laugh best, but she does laugh. — Patricia C. Wrede

No matter how good you are at sneaking, you can't ever sneak well enough so that mosquitoes won't find you, and no matter how worried and tense you are, or how hard you are trying to pay attention, you just can't help noticing when a cloud of mosquitoes comes for you like you're their first good meal since last fall. — Patricia C. Wrede

Then they gave me a loaf of bread and told me to walk through the forest and give some to anyone who asked. I did exactly what they told me, and the second beggar-woman was a fairy in disguise, but instead of saying that whenever I spoke, diamonds and roses would drop from my mouth, she said that since I was so kind, I would never have any problems with my teeth."
"Really? Did it work?"
"Well, I haven't had a toothache since I met her."
"I'd much rather have good teeth than have diamonds and roses drop out of my mouth whenever I said something — Patricia C. Wrede

He doesn't seem very impressed," Cimorene commented in some amusement.
"Why should he be?" Kazul said.
"Well, you're a dragon," Cimorene answered, a little taken aback.
"What difference does that make to a cat? — Patricia C. Wrede

This is the most important lesson you must learn about magic," Miss Ochiba went on. "There are many ways of seeing. Each has an element of truth, but none is the whole truth. If you limit yourselves to one way of seeing, one truth, you will limit your power. You will also place limits on the kinds of spells you can cast, as well as their strength. To be a good magician, you must see in many ways. You must be flexible. You must be willing to learn from different sources. And you must always remember that the truths you see are incomplete. — Patricia C. Wrede

The efficiency of the cleaning solution in liquefying wizards suggested the operation of an antithetical principal,which-"
"Did you have to get him started?" Cimorene asked reproachfully. — Patricia C. Wrede

He wasn't a medical doctor, just educated all the way up as far as you can get. — Patricia C. Wrede

The voices belonged to dragons.
Five of them lay on or sprawled over or curled around the various rocks and columns that filled the huge cave where Cimorene stood. Each of the males (there were three) had two short, stubby, sharp-looking horns on either side of their heads; the female dragon had three, one on each side and one in the center of her forehead. The last dragon was apparently still too young to have made up its mind which sex it wanted to be; it didn't have any horns at all. — Patricia C. Wrede

Rennie didn't quite dare to answer back, but she looked a whole book and a couple of extra chapters. — Patricia C. Wrede

Lord Daner isn't my boyfriend," Eleret said, annoyed. She'd let it go by once, but after two mentions, she had to correct him. Karvonen would drive her crazy if he kept referring to Daner that way.
"Huh." Karvonen pursed his lips skeptically. "I'll bet it's not because he didn't try."
"You'd lose."
"Then Daner's an idiot," Karvonen said with feeling. — Patricia C. Wrede

I refuse to let him hire a princess in disguise who's hoping to sneak into the next ball wearing a dress as shining as the stars so that Daystar will fall in love with her. Princesses are very persuasive, but most of them aren't much use in the kitchen."
Daystar blinked. "But Mother, we hardly ever have balls. And I really don't think I'd fall in love with someone just because she was wearing a fancy dress."
"Try and convince a princess of that. — Patricia C. Wrede

I'm sorry. I'm used to people objecting to things because they think I can't do them or shouldn't do them. It didn't occur to me that you might have a real reason. — Patricia C. Wrede

The young man is currently standing in the hallway, dripping on the handmade silk rug that the Emperor of the Indies presented to His Majesty's grandmother. He is insisting on speaking with His Majesty."
"It's a very ugly rug," Mendanbar said. "That's why we put it in the entry hall. — Patricia C. Wrede

Tis my will that thou and he shall die by my hand. Thou hast but to choose the manner of thy death." "Old age," Cimorene said promptly. "Mock — Patricia C. Wrede

I loved getting my M. B. A., and I really enjoyed being an accountant and financial analyst before I quit my day job twenty-five years ago to write full time. I just liked writing more ... plus, I knew even then that as a full-time writer, I'd get plenty of chances to do business-type stuff, while as an accountant, I probably wouldn't get a lot of opportunities to write about dragons. — Patricia C. Wrede

Winter was usually the slow season at the menagerie, with so many of the animals hibernating, but that year I was busier than a hen with a double set of chicks. — Patricia C. Wrede

You can't force folks to have good sense, even if they're family. Maybe especially then. — Patricia C. Wrede

I'm not going to dress in velvet robes with ermine trim when I'm spending the day hanging pictures and cleaning out the attic in the South Tower, no matter how much Willin would like it, Mendanbar said firmly. — Patricia C. Wrede

Kim was more than a little inclined to snarl at him, but in the past few days she had learned that snarling at Mairelon did little good. He simply smiled and corrected her grammar. — Patricia C. Wrede

Many, if not most, of the best and most lasting children's books have multiple levels, some of which are not fully accessible to their most likely readers ... at least, not on their first read-through at age eight or ten or fifteen. — Patricia C. Wrede

Is it your background, then?" Lord Franton smiled and shook his head. "That need not worry you. You're a wizard now; what you were before does not matter to me."
"Yes, it does," Kim said softly. "Because part of the time you're sorry about it, and part of the time you think it makes me interesting, and part of the time you ignore it. But you never forget it. — Patricia C. Wrede

(In reply to the question, 'Would you like some suggestions for a plot for your next book?')
There are three problems with getting plot suggestions from other people. The first is that ideas are the easy part of writing; finding the time and energy to get them down on paper is the hard part. I have plenty of ideas already. Which brings me to the second problem: the ideas that excite you, the ones you think would make a terrific book, are not necessarily the same ideas that excite me. And if a writer isn't excited about an idea, she generally doesn't turn out a terrific book, even if the idea is terrific. And the third problem with my using your suggestions is that, theoretically, you could sue me if I did, and that tends to make publishers nervous, which makes it hard to sell a book. So thank you, but no. — Patricia C. Wrede

You're always in the kitchen," Alianora said when she poked her head through the door a moment later. "Or the library. Don't you ever do anything but cook and read? — Patricia C. Wrede

So, in a fit of pique, I came up with the silliest thing I could think of, and handed the book in under the title Bowling for Dragons — Patricia C. Wrede

They always do the same thing - come in, ask for a meal, hide, and then run off with a harp or a bag full of money the minute I fall asleep,' Dobbilan said. 'And they're always named Jack. Always. We've lived in this castle for twenty years, and every three months, regular as clockwork, one of those boys shows up, and there's never been a Tom, Dick, or Harry among 'em. Just Jacks. The English have no imagination. — Patricia C. Wrede

Nothing you will object to, James replied in a soothing tone. I cannot think how he came to imagine that he would know what I might or might not object to. — Patricia C. Wrede

But the most important thing of all, to which she kept returning like a tongue probing a sore tooth, was the realization that she had fallen in love with her gaurdian. — Patricia C. Wrede

William!" I turned smiling. "Did they send you over?"
William shook his head. "They're still arguing, and it's spreading. Your professor has opinions."
I rolled my eyes, because it was William. "She's from Vinland. As far as she's concerned, wildlife is something you shoot first and study later. She's been complaining about the menagerie animals since the day she got to Mill City, especially this one. — Patricia C. Wrede

She lived here for a while until she couldn't stand having strangers stand outside and shout, "Rachel! Rachel, send down your chair" any longer. — Patricia C. Wrede

Well," said the frog, "what are you going to do about it?"
"Marrying Therandil? I don't know. I've tried talking to my parents, but they won't listen, and neither will Therandil."
"I didn't ask what you'd said about it," the frog snapped. "I asked what you're going to do. Nine times out of ten, talking is a way of avoiding doing things. — Patricia C. Wrede

Seriously, if you really, truly don't understand basic terminology (which was at least half my problem with the adult-level "beginner" books), the children's section is the place to go. — Patricia C. Wrede

Very well. You may help me to exterminate the society of wizards. — Patricia C. Wrede

I'd rather be eaten by a dragon. — Patricia C. Wrede

Your levity is unbecoming, Richard, and not at all the point,' Mrs Lowe said, giving him a stern look.'In another week, the Season will be upon us, and as you have chosen to come to Town for once, I shall expect you to find a little more time for your social and family obligations.'
'Oh, you may expect whatever you like, Aunt.' Mairelon's tone was careless, but there was a set to his shoulders that told Kim he was not pleased.
'People are already arriving, and I fear there are quite a few who are ... confused about your proper standing'
'I can't imagine why. I'm the least confusing person I know. — Patricia C. Wrede

Well?' Jasper said when Mairelon did not reply. 'Who are you?'
'No, no,' Mairelon said. 'I asked you first. I also, if you recall, asked how you found this place and what you intend to do here, and you haven't told me that, either.'
'We might ask you the same thing,' Jasper retorted.
'You might, but I don't recommend it,' Mairelon said. 'You'll get a reputation as a poor conversationalist if you all can do is repeat what other people say to you. — Patricia C. Wrede

In a lot of ways I was a generation ahead of my generation; I had a working mother wheneveryone else's mother was staying at home. — Patricia C. Wrede

If you brought me out driving just so you could insult me-"
"Oh, not just to insult you. — Patricia C. Wrede

William didn't look like he'd be difficult about anything - he was thin and sandy-haired and already wore eyeglasses like his father. Most of the time he didn't say much. But when he was curious about something, he was stubborner than a bear after a honeycomb. — Patricia C. Wrede

Tell the story you want to tell, and let it be as long as it needs to be. Worry about marketing it later. — Patricia C. Wrede

It's a hard thing to risk what you know and are sure of, just for the possibility of something better. Even when it's a pretty strong possibility, and something that's a whole lot better. — Patricia C. Wrede

Well, of all the bacon-brained, sapskulled, squirish, buffle-headed nodcocks! — Patricia C. Wrede

I most certainly can deny it. Of course, if I did, I'd be lying. Mairelon — Patricia C. Wrede

How can you know it's the best, if you don't learn about anything else? — Patricia C. Wrede

There is nothing that is quite so reassuring in an awkward situation as knowing that one is well turned-out, and while I hope I am not so fainthearted as to require such stratagems, I am not so foolish as to overlook their value. — Patricia C. Wrede

Brant's an idealist, and he's competent. There are few more dangerous combinations in this world ... Heroes are even more dangerous than idealists. — Patricia C. Wrede

My mother taught me to be polite to dragons. Particularly polite, I mean; she taught me to be ordinary polite to everyone ... but dragons are a special case. -Daystar (Talking to Dragons) — Patricia C. Wrede

Humility is as good for the soul as it is for the memory — Patricia C. Wrede

Except you.
The revelation was so blindingly sudden the words almost slipped out, and she had to bit her tongue and look away. pg 391, A Matter of Magic — Patricia C. Wrede

One of the things everybody seems to want to ask writers is, "Where do you get your ideas?" When people ask me this, my usual response is, "Ideas are the easy part. The hard part is writing them down. — Patricia C. Wrede

One of the previous Kings of the Enchanted Forest had been very fond of sweeping up and down staircases in a long velvet robe and his best crown, so he had added stairs wherever he thought there was room — Patricia C. Wrede

Buckets,' said Cimorene. 'Lots of buckets, and soap, and lemon juice. Where do you keep your buckets, Mendanbar?'
'Around somewhere,' Mendanbar said vaguely. — Patricia C. Wrede

Starting is good. You can't get anywhere at all if you never start. — Patricia C. Wrede

He pushed his glasses up on his nose and gave me a sidelong look, the one that meant he was so sure you were wrong that he could just wait and let you find out for yourself the hard way. — Patricia C. Wrede

If you're going to be rude, do it for a reason and get something from it. — Patricia C. Wrede

Sometimes, though, you have to do things for family, even if you'd rather not. — Patricia C. Wrede

No proper princess would come out looking for dragons," Woraug objected.
"Well I'm not a proper princess then!" Cimorene snapped. "I make cherries jubillee and I volunteer for dragons, and I conjugate Latin verbs
or at least I would if anyone would let me. So there! — Patricia C. Wrede

Always be polite to a dragon. It's harder than it sounds. Dragon etiquette is incredibly complicated, and if you make a mistake, the dragon eats you. — Patricia C. Wrede

I see you've decided to take my advice after all, Richard." Lady Wendall's amused voice said from somewhere above and behind him. "Marrying your ward is *exactly* the sort of usual scandal I had in mind: I wonder it didn't occur to me before. — Patricia C. Wrede

Thank God! he said, and kissed her.
Kissing Mairelon was much nicer than anything she had ever dared to imagine, despite the headache. — Patricia C. Wrede

Fee, fie, foe, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread." Ballimore shook her head. "Nonsense, dear. It's just Princess Cimorene and the King of the Enchanted Forest." "And neither of us is English," Cimorene added. The — Patricia C. Wrede

NONE OF THIS NONSENSE, PLEASE — Patricia C. Wrede

Well, it doesn't sound particularly noble and knightly to say you've rescued the Chief Cook and Librarian, does it? And it has cut down on the number of interruptions. I used to get two or three knights a day, and now there's only about one a week. And the ones who do come are at least smart enough to figure out that I'm still a princess even if the dragons call me Chief Cook — Patricia C. Wrede

Out here, it's better safe than sorry, because generally speaking, too much of the time sorry means you're dead. — Patricia C. Wrede