Raymond Chandler

Birth: 1888-07-23 , Chicago

Death: 1959-03-26 , La Jolla

Raymond Chandler was an American novelist and short-story writer, known for his dark and atmospheric detective fiction. He is widely regarded as one of the masters of the "hard-boiled" genre and has influenced generations of writers. His stories often feature private detective Philip Marlowe, a cynical and loner character who navigates the underworld of Los Angeles. Chandler was known for his sharp prose, witty dialogue, and vivid descriptions.

1,737

Views

Poems List

It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained glass window.

A big hard-boiled city with no more personality than a paper cup.

Don’t ever write anything you don’t like yourself and if you do like it, don’t take anyone else’s advice about changing it. They just don’t know.

My experience with trying to help people to write has been limited but extremely intensive. I have done everything from giving would-be writers money to live on to plotting and rewriting their stories for them, and so far I have found it all to be a waste. The people whom God or nature intended to be writers find their own answers, and those who have to ask are impossible to help. They are merely people who want to be writers.

When the plot flags, bring in a man with a gun.

Technique alone is never enough. You have to have passion. Technique alone is just an embroidered potholder.

The moment a man begins to talk about technique, that’s proof he is fresh out of ideas.

I have made three rules of writing for myself that are absolutes: Never take advice. Never show or discuss a work in progress. Never answer a critic.

If you have enough talent, you can get by after a fashion without guts, you can also get by, after a fashion again, without talent. But you certainly can’t get by without either .

Writers who get written about become self-conscious. They develop a regrettable habit of looking at themselves through the eyes of other people. They are no longer alone, they have an investment in critical praise, and they think they must protect it. This leads to a diffusion of effort. The writer watches himself as he works. He grows more subtle and he pays for it by loss of organic dash.

Comments (0)

ShareOn Facebook WhatsApp X

NoComments

Raymond Chandler was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 23, 1888. He spent part of his childhood and youth in England. After returning to the United States, Chandler served in World War I and worked various jobs before dedicating himself to writing full-time in the 1930s. His first novel, "The Big Sleep," was published in 1939, setting the tone for his later works. His novels, such as "Farewell, My Lovely" and "The Lady in the Lake," explore themes of corruption, greed, and morality in a stylized and often dangerous Los Angeles. In addition to his work as a novelist, Chandler also wrote screenplays for Hollywood, including collaborations on "Double Indemnity" and "The Blue Dahlia." He was a rigorous critic of his own work and of writing in general, known for his insightful observations on human nature and society. Raymond Chandler passed away in 1959, leaving a lasting legacy in detective fiction.