ENGLISH PATHFINDERS

Quotations

Creative Writing
 

QUOTATIONS
This guide is designed for anyone who is looking for quotations or their sources. Both print-based and Web-based sources are included.

Print Sources
There are a great many books of quotations. Some are general, overarching collections of quotations; some have a specific focus. Some are indexed by the "author" of the quotation; some by subject. The best way to determine which book will best serve your purpose is to browse through a few of them. The following are some of the basic collections, and can likely be found in your public library:

Columbia Dictionary of Quotations, Columbia University Press, 1993.
Arranged by subject of quotation.

Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, Oxford University Press, 1992.
Arranged alphabetically by "author" of quotation.

Stevenson's Book of Home Quotations, Dodd, Mead, and Co., 1962.
Arranged by subject of quotation.

Macmillan Dictionary of Quotations, Bloomsbury Publishing, 1989.
Arranged by subject of quotation.

The following sources are focused on specific types of quotations:

Columbia Granger's Dictionary of Poetry Quotations,Columbia University Press, 1992.
Arranged alphabetically by poet's name.

Oxford Dictionary of Political Quotations,Oxford University Press, 1996.
Arranged alphabetically by "author" of quote.

Occasionally, what you are looking for may not be a quotation, but a proverb. Here are some sources in which proverbs can be looked up:

Oxford Dictionary of American Proverbs, Oxford University Press, 1992.
Arranged alphabetically by key word in proverb.

Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs,Oxford University Press, 1970
Also arranged alphabetically by key word in proverb.

If you wish to simply browse through these titles, they can be found under the Dewey number 001.182 in a public library, and the Library of Congress number PN 6081 in most university libraries. If you wish to look up similar titles in either a card catalog or an on-line library catalog, the official Library of Congress Subject Headings under which they can be found are:

Quotations—Dictionaries
Quotations, English
Internet Sources

There are a great many sites on the World Wide Web devoted to quotations. However, it must be noted that many of these are merely personal collections, and may not be accurate. Here are some of the most reputable and most useful of these:

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 1919 Edition  http://www.bartleby.com/100/
Bartlett's is one of the best-known sources for quotations. The web-based version, from Bartleby.com, is searchable by key word; it is also indexed alphabetically by author.

Simpson's Contemporary Quotations, 1988 Edition  http://www.bartleby.com/63/
Simpson's Contemporary Quotations is a useful source for notable quotes from 1950-1988. Like Bartlett's, this web-based version comes from the Bartleby.com site and is searchable by keyword. It also includes a browsable author index and a subject index.

The Quotations Page  http://www.quotationspage.com/
This is also searchable by key word; in addition, it features a page about the site, an index of frequently asked questions (FAQs), and a link by which one can provide feedback.

Quotations Center  http://www.cyber-nation.com/victory/quotations/subjects/quotes_subjects_a_to_b.html
Another thorough, well-researched site; this is organized by subject, and alphabetically by author within each subject. The creators of the site specifically ask for feedback and corrections.

Quoteland  http://www.quoteland.com/
A good site to check if you're looking for a humorous quote or a quote relevant to a particular speech topic, as it collects mainly modern quotes. It is searchable by keyword, and browsable by author and topic.

If you wish to browse through a number of quotations sites, you can find a sizeable list of them at Yahoo's Quotations Index
http://dir.yahoo.com/Reference/Quotations/.

If you wish to search for quotation sites on your own, it is best to use a search engine which allows you to exclude certain words from your search, such as HotBot (http://www.hotbot.com/). Search on either "quotes" or "quotations", and exclude the words "stocks", "insurance", and "business"; this will prevent you from coming up with sites about stock and insurance prices.

Want to check and see if your quote might really be a proverb? Famous Quotations Network at http://www.famous-quotations.com/asp/origins.asp is a searchable, online database of common proverbs by category, author, alphabetic, and by country!

This pathfinder created by Deb DeGeorge. Updated by Sena Roth.

CREATIVE WRITING
This guide is designed for individuals interested in creative writing, either for personal fulfillment or as a career pursuit. This pathfinder focuses primarily on prose fiction (novel and short-story writing), although many of the sources are also useful for individuals interested in poetry or screenwriting. Both print and web-based sources are included.

 Resources For The Writing Process
Both stylistic and mechanical elements of writing play a part in the quality of a finished piece of work. Creative writers can benefit from consulting writing-oriented resources in order to deal with uncertainties in the writing process or simply to improve their own writing skills. 

The Portable Creative Writing Workshop, By Pat Boran. Salmon Publishing, Ltd., 1999.
This book is a development manual for writers of fiction and poetry. It contains information about the principles of writing as well as exercises for developing writing skills.

Writer's Mind: Crafting Fiction, By Richard Cohen. NTC Publishing Group, 1995.
This book focuses on crafting fiction, including elements of writing and the writing process. It also includes career advice and educational commentary for creative writers. Throughout the book, at the end of each section, a list of resources related to the previously discussed topic is included.

Periodicals About Writing
Periodicals devoted to writing are excellent resources for creative writers. These publications contain numerous useful articles on aspects of the writing process and developments in the writing industry. They occasionally contain interviews with established writers which can provide inspiration or information for up-and-coming creative writers who are looking to enter the commercial writing market.

Poets &Writers http://www.pw.org  Poets &Writers, Inc.
This web site for the bi-monthly print magazine includes selected articles from the current issue, as well as back issues. It also offers a section titled "Literary Horizons" which provides free access to their online directory of American Poets and Fiction Writers, resource guides for writers, and advice on publishing.

Writer's Digest  http://www.writersdigest.com/  F &W Publications, Inc.
This magazine, available in both print and online formats, is dedicated to all types of writing, including fiction and poetry. It also includes information on the publishing industry and features spotlights on individual markets.

The Internet Writing Journal  http://www.internetwritingjournal.com  Writers Write, Inc.
This online magazine features articles about all genres of writing, writing skills, and the publishing industry. Articles on specific types of writing, such as screenwriting, playwriting, and songwriting are also occasionally included.

Associations For Writers
Associations focused on writers provide opportunities for creative writers to network and seek resources. Additional benefits and requirements for membership vary depending on the specific association.

The Authors Guild
http://www.authorsguild.org/
330 West 42nd Street
29th Floor
New York, NY 10036
(212) 563-5904
e-mail: staff@authorsguild.org

This association is concerned with issues of free speech, copyright protection, and fair compensation. It supplies news and contract advice. The organization claims to have the largest membership of published authors in the United States.

Market Guides
Market guides are useful tools for finding submission information for various publishers.

Writer's Guide To Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, Prima Publishers.
Each annual edition of this book profiles numerous U.S. and Canadian publishers. Additionally, it contains interviews with various literary agents.

Writer's Market, Writers Digest Books.
This book, published annually, is a massive directory listing numerous publishers and editors. It includes contact information, submission guidelines, and other useful material.

Poet's Market, Writers Digest Books.
This book is the poetry equivalent of Writer's Market.

Finding Additional Information
Additional resources can be found at public and university libraries under call numbers in the 800's of the Dewey Decimal Classification System and in the PN section of the Library of Congress Classification System. Useful resources may also be found under the following Library of Congress Subject Headings:

Authorship
Creative Writing
Drama—Technique
Fiction—Technique
Motion Picture Authorship
Motion Picture Plays—Technique
Playwriting
Poetics
Poetry—Technique

This pathfinder created by Jack Visnaw.