Christopher Paolini

“Ah, pay no heed if your enemies laugh. They'll not be able to once you lop off their heads.”

“The advantage of writing from experience is that it often provides you with details that you would never think of yourself, no matter how rich your imagination. And specificity in description is something every writer should strive for.”

“They shared a laugh, and then the silence that so often intruded on their discussion asserted itself once again, a gap born of equal parts weariness, familiarity and--conversely--the many differences that fate had created between those who had once gone about lives that were but variations on a single melody.”

“Those whom we most love are often the most alien to us.”

“I'm not fighting for myself anymore.... It makes a difference.”

“Personally, I had a great education. My mum was a trained teacher, a Montessori teacher, and I know that I could not have written 'Eragon' if I had gone into a public school system because I would have just been too busy attending classes and doing homework - I wouldn't have had the time to write.”

“Death, he had come to believe, was a corrosive thing, and the more he was around it , the more it gnawed away at who he was.”

“My mind is the only sanctuary that has not been stolen from me.”

“I'm healthy as an ox. And you?" "To compare myself with a bovine would be both ridiculous and insulting, but I'm fit as ever, if that is what you are asking.”

“Book should go where they will be most appreciated, and not sit unread, gathering dust on a forgotten shelf, don't you agree?”

“Go slowly, so that you do not bite your tail by accident.”

“If you want to be a professional writer then you need to write consistently. Inspiration strikes about once every blue moon which, for me, is once every two and a half to three months, which is when I'll get really and truly inspired about something.”

“Eragon looked back at him, confused. "I don't understand.""Of course you don't," said Brom impatiently. "That's why I'm teaching you and not the other way around.”

“They may fight with us, but they don't fight for us.”

“Do not stalk your prey until you are sure it is prey”

“But you possess one quality that no one else does. Oh? Your identity. Your history, deeds and situation. Use those to shape your creation and you will produce something unique. Whatever you make, base it upon that which is most important to you. Only then will it have depth and meaning, and only then will it resonate with others.”

“Come, kiss me sweet, and then let us return to bed, for I am tired, and I would sleep.”

“There is much you can learn from books and scrolls. These books are my friends, my companions. They make me laugh and cry and find meaning in life.”

“First, let no one rule your mind or body. Take special care that your thoughts remain unfettered... . Give men your ear, but not your heart. Show respect for those in power, but don't follow them blindly. Judge with logic and reason, but comment not. Consider none your superior whatever their rank or station in life. Treat all fairly, or they will seek revenge. Be careful with your money. Hold fast to your beliefs and others will listen.”

“I cannot pretend that I regard this with favor, but the purpose of life is not to do what we want but what needs to be done. This is what fate demands of us. - Oromis”