Quotable Lines?

[ThisAdamGuy]

One thing that's always stood out to me about the most successful stories (books, movies, TV, games, whatever) is that they always have lines that the audience can quote. Sometimes they're meaningful or inspirational quotes, sometimes they're just memes, but they all seem to have them.

"You're a wizard, Harry."
"May the Force be with you."
"May the odds be ever in your favor."
"WAAAAUGH!"
"I'll be back."
"God damn it, Donut!"
"MY CABBAGES!"

I'm willing to bet that most of you know where most (if not all) of those lines come from without even having to think about it. People love quotable lines, and they serve as a sort of anchor in people's brains. If they remember the quote, then in at least some small capacity, they remember the story it came from. And it occured to me that none of my books really have any. Part of me feels like you can't really plan for quotable lines. They just sort of happen, and the fandom latches on to them almost randomly. Like, I highly doubt James Cameron intended "I'll be back" to become one of the most famous lines in movie history. But on the other hand, am I actively making my books more forgettable by not at least trying to put quotable lines into them?

What do you guys think about quotable lines, and how much effort do you put into putting them in your books?

 

[RepresentingPride]

I like good quotes. I try to put some in my stories, but until now, no reader have said anything about it.

Their brains must not be developped enough to understand how great my quotes are

(Joke aside, the impact when the quote was put may not be enough to having it imprinted in the readers mind forever)

 

[Representing_Tromba]

I don't personally think that the author can dictate what is a quotable line or not. Yes, an author can put as many one liners or quotable lines as possible but that doesn't mean it will catch on. What makes a line quotable is its cultural/social impact. All of the lines you listed came from IPs that are very well known and have had such impact in one way or another. For example, the minecraft movie is filled with memeable one liners that were designed to be memed on and succeeded due to the cultural connection minecraft as an IP has. However, other movies designed with the same intent of being quoted didn't have as much success due to not having enough impact on society. Whether these quotes will last is unknown. One thing I do know is that the more of an impact something has on humanity, the longer it usually lasts in humanities psyche.

Ultimately, you can attempt to cram quotable lines in your stories with some chance of success or you can just try writing a successful story and let the readers decide that for you.

 

[JayMark]

Ebony Rhodes, Chapter 67

"You look like somebody dehydrated an apricot."

I wasn't attempting to make a quotable, but after she said it, I found it increasingly funny. So just for me, yes, quotable.

 

[miyoga]

"You come to ask me a favor on this, the day of my daughter's wedding?" "Whatchu talkin' bout, Willis?" (The first will last much longer than the second and if any of you knows where that second one comes from, give yourself a cookie.)

There's not much I can add here. Paul's pretty much said it, but I will add this: make the story memorable to yourself. A big part of why we remember all these memes and quotes is that we can relate to them so easily as a group, but in order to speak to the group, you've gotta first speak to yourself. Harrison Ford's Han saying "I know" to Carrie Fisher's Leia was him being tired and ready to go home for the day, a feeling we all understand well. Schwarzenegger's "I'll be back" just sounded cool, so everyone started using it (and "hasta la vista, baby"), but they're still relatable to the average movie-goer. ATLA's Cabbage guy? Meme-able, sure, but still relatable in that we've all had something we valued get trashed either accidentally or maliciously/intentionally.

If you can't relate to something that you feel is quotable, then chances are that nobody else will either.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

What makes a good quote is usually not the quote itself but the situation surrounding it. The best way to create a memorable quote is to create a situation where the quote hits different. Often times the most memorable quote is really quite simple and devoid of context, it would sound like a nothing burger.

If the shoe fits, wear it, but the shoe fitting in Cinderella creates a whole different meaning to that phrase.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Don't know the second to last one, and have never heard the source of the cabbages one, just heard it quoted.
But you cannot predict what will, or will not become quotable.
"I love it when a plan comes together" vs. "Well, I have 3% of a plan"
Similar lines, one is still in "play" 40 years later, the other disappeared within a year of being used.
"Listen! Do you smell something?"
"I've been slimed!"
Same movie - the first one is more "clever" and "weird" but only caught on with a few people; the second? timeless.

You just never know.

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

Don't know the second to last one

Mongo is appalled!

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Mongo is appalled!
View attachment 37737

Only Mongo I know of got a candygram... But don't shoot him, you'll only make him angry.

 

[RepresentingDesire]

Pirates of the Carribic have a strategy for making something quotable.
I think it was something like saying it and saying it in a different situation that fits it.

 

[Clo]

I am not working towards making quotable lines. I don't think there is anything close to one in my novel.

I am curious about the idea, though.