Every sentence must do one of two things-reveal character or advance the action.

All right - I'll tell you what you did for me: you went for happy, silly, beautiful walks with me.

The city was blacked out because bombers might come, so Billy didn't get to see Dresden do one of the most cheerful things a city can do when the sun goes down, which is to wink its lights on one by one.

If you want to break the rules of grammar, first learn the rules of grammar.

I was raised by a black maid by the name of Ida Young and I probably talked to her more than anybody, so whatever is nutty about me was nutty about her, too, I think because I saw a lot more of her than I did of my parents.

Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.

All of the true things I am about to tell you are shameless lies.