Authors

Raymond Chandler

Raymond Chandler (1888–1959) was an American novelist and screenwriter best known for hard-boiled detective fiction, especially The Big Sleep and Farewell, My Lovely. His quote reflects a recurring theme in his work: the tension between craft and the urge to write.

Quotes: 1

Quotes by Raymond Chandler

Everything a writer learns about the art or craft of fiction takes just a little away from his need or desire to write at all. In the end he knows all the tricks and has nothing to say. — Raymond Chandler

When Mastery Threatens the Urge to Create

Raymond Chandler’s remark turns a familiar ambition upside down: the more a writer learns about fiction, the more that knowledge may erode the raw impulse to write. At first, this sounds almost perverse, since craft is u...

Created on: 6/13/2026