10 Quotes About Hardboiled

The late 70s and early 1980s were a time of incredible social upheaval, political reaction, and cultural change. The term “hardboiled” was coined to describe the spirit of this era. Although it’s often thought of as a product of the crime fiction genre, it actually came into use during the 1940s. Today, the term is used to describe stories that are hard-hitting but still have depth Read more

This collection of hardboiled quotes is certain to provide you with some inspiration on how to be a hardboiled writer yourself.

1
My feet crunched over dry hickory leaves. Wood rangers had stapled up Smokey Bear (“Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires! ”) signs along the state roads. One cigarette butt flicked out a passing car window and there’d be real hell to pay. Ed Lynskey
2
In near panic, I craned my neck to gaze over the cabin’s roofline a bursting fireball. Ed Lynskey
3
Just the night before, a puma’s howl had set a chill at my spine and, man, life didn’t get any richer than that. Ed Lynskey
4
How the Hell is it we go to pick up Jenna Jameson and end up with the fucking chick from those Kill Bill movies? Todd Morr
5
Personality is a piece of paper that folds in to conceal different sides and display others, like an Origami Alejandro Colliard
6
I let my gaze travel out the picture window. Unlike at my old doublewide trailer perched on the fringe of a played out quarry, here I owned a real yard with real grass that screamed for mowing each Monday a.m. I sat at the kitchen table, cooling off from just having finished this week's job. Yes, here in 2005, I was a full-fledged suburbanite, but I'd been called worse. Ed Lynskey
7
Quote taken from Chapter 1: That's the idea. Listen, Frank, this one is different. She's a keeper." He let that part gel in me. "Get your head screwed on straight and move to Richmond. You hate it living in Pelham. Ed Lynskey
8
Get a load of this, Frank.” Gerald Peyton’s pause set off his pronouncement. “She is expecting to get a wedding ring.”“ That’s understandable, ” I said, unsure how he could afford a ring on what our firm cleared. Diamond rings–more sold in December than in any other month of the year–went for a cool grand per karat. Weeks ago, I’d priced them–again–for my domestic situation. “What seems to be the problem?”“ That’s a big leap for me to make.”“ I expect you’ll make it with room to spare. Ed Lynskey
9
A diamond wedding ring, you say?” I studied his face. Was he putting me on? He looked earnest. “As any guy would expect, a diamond is what she’s after, ” I said. “Did you hold out hope you’d get by for anything less? Ed Lynskey