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Saturday, April 18, 2015

P: The Princess Bride


My theme for the A to Z Blogging Challenge this year is a mishmash of books, movies, writers and TV shows that have in one way or another taught me something about writing and helped me be a better writer. Some inspired my own stories and a few taught me what not to do. Each post is a one minute lesson on writing. And today I'm posting at the IWSG blog and reminding you to pamper yourself.

 The Princess Bride proves that the best stories are actually love stories. The search for true love is filled with danger and adventure and over the top characters. If you haven't seen the movie, (are there people who haven't?) you owe to yourself to check it out. The movie doesn't take itself seriously which is what makes it so fun. And it have everything. a beautiful innocent peasant girl raised to princess, an arrogant villainous prince and his minions, a gifted swordsman committed to revenge, a kind-hearted giant, an evil genius, powerful wizards and a mysterious pirate and a story of true love. Hilarious dialogue and the hope for a happily-ever-after complete this film meant for adults and children alike.

 Lesson: All great stories are love stories no matter how much action and adventure is mixed in. A novel or movie doesn't need a lot of kissing or sexual content to be romantic. Great movies are filled with quotable lines that live on forever. 




Do you have favorite quotes from this movie? Can you think of another movie that is a great romance with very little kissing or sexual content? Do you think you've written any great quotes into any of your book?
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53 comments:

  1. UnknownApril 18, 2015 at 4:48 AM

    Great romance with no sexual contact - the film Hotel du Lac. The book is wonderful too.

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    1. Susan Gourley/KelleyApril 18, 2015 at 9:25 AM

      That's on my list to watch. Thanks for the recommendation.

      Delete
  2. Tasha Duncan-DrakeApril 18, 2015 at 5:25 AM

    I love:
    Vizzini: HE DIDN'T FALL? INCONCEIVABLE.
    Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
    The quote speaks to me on so many levels :) The Princess Bride is a simply brilliant film and I love it to pieces.
    Someone told me they really liked a phrase I used in my latest book, but I fear it is not as quotable as Princess Bride ;) The words 'I wish' come to mind ;)
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

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  3. TrishaApril 18, 2015 at 6:36 AM

    So many great quotes!

    Of course now that I'm put on the spot I can't think of anything except "As youuu wiiiiish!" and "Inconceivable!" :P

    Westley was such a hottie!

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    1. Susan Gourley/KelleyApril 18, 2015 at 9:27 AM

      I love 'as you wish' too. When they used that line on Once Upon a Time, I was giddy.

      Delete
  4. Alex J. CavanaughApril 18, 2015 at 7:02 AM

    Great minds! I featured The Princess Bride as well.
    Have fun storming the castle!

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    1. Susan Gourley/KelleyApril 18, 2015 at 9:27 AM

      That is one of my favorite too. Used to say it all the time to my husband and boys when they were little and he took them to the playground.

      Delete
  5. The Armchair SquidApril 18, 2015 at 7:54 AM

    A great romance: Brief Encounter.

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  6. A Tarkabarka HölgyApril 18, 2015 at 8:02 AM

    I only watched this movie about two years ago - it is not very well known in Hungary at all, but I learned that all my American friends were crazy about it. I assume some of it is childhood nostalgia, because while I enjoyed the movie, it didn't make me a fangirl. I do agree with the love story though: I like having well-placed love plots in most adventure stories...

    @TarkabarkaHolgy from
    Multicolored Diary - Epics from A to Z
    MopDog - 26 Ways to Die in Medieval Hungary

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    1. Susan Gourley/KelleyApril 18, 2015 at 9:28 AM

      I think you have to watch it multiple times to really fall in love with it.

      Delete
  7. Annalisa CrawfordApril 18, 2015 at 8:40 AM

    My husband introduced me to this film when we first met - I thought it was a strange choice for a 20 year old man, but I went with it. And I'm very glad I did. I've seen it several times since, and we bought it as a joint Christmas pressie to ourselves last year :-)

    Annalisa, writing A-Z vignettes, at Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep

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    1. Susan Gourley/KelleyApril 18, 2015 at 9:29 AM

      That is such a sweet story. A love story within a love story.

      Delete
    2. Hilary Melton-ButcherApril 20, 2015 at 1:23 PM

      Hi Annalisa and Susan - totally agree ... cheers H

      Delete
  8. Maria ZanniniApril 18, 2015 at 8:58 AM

    My favorite quotes all come from Miracle Max.

    "You are the Brute Squad."
    "MLT, mutton, lettuce and tomato."
    "You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles."

    Princess Bride is a long time favorite at our house.

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  9. Jeremy [Retro]April 18, 2015 at 9:03 AM

    Best anytime film... you feel compassion for all the cast, except one... man with the six fingers. Have fun storming the castle...

    Jeremy [Retro]
    AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2015]

    There's no earthly way of knowing.
    Which direction we are going!

    HOLLYWOOD NUTS!
    Come Visit: You know you want to know if me or Hollywood... is Nuts?

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    1. Susan Gourley/KelleyApril 18, 2015 at 9:30 AM

      Another of my favorite. The six fingered man was so smoothly evil.

      Delete
  10. Luanne G. SmithApril 18, 2015 at 9:33 AM

    Oh, how I love The Princess Bride. But it wasn't until last December when I finally read the novel. Such great storytelling.

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    1. Susan Gourley/KelleyApril 18, 2015 at 1:49 PM

      I read the novel recently too. It's on the keeper shelf.

      Delete
  11. Nick WilfordApril 18, 2015 at 9:48 AM

    OK, I'll need to put my hand up and say I haven't seen it! While not every great story has to be a love story, a little romance can add some light relief and hope to even the darkest plots.

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    1. Susan Gourley/KelleyApril 18, 2015 at 1:50 PM

      Oh, Nick. It's probably my favorite movie of all time.

      Delete
  12. i b aroraApril 18, 2015 at 10:12 AM

    some of the best movies had absolutely no sexual content

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  13. Chrys FeyApril 18, 2015 at 10:34 AM

    I'm with Nick in saying that I haven't seen it. *Hangs head.*

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  14. Pat HattApril 18, 2015 at 10:36 AM

    A great movie indeed. Of course the cat like the rhyme haha Anyone want a peanut?

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    1. Susan Gourley/KelleyApril 18, 2015 at 1:53 PM

      I should have guessed the cat would like that part best.

      Delete
  15. Shanaya TalesApril 18, 2015 at 11:31 AM

    Very true. Personally for me, some of the best stories are love stories, since I am a huge romance novel addict. It is one of my favorite genres to read.
    Btw, I haven't seen this movie *hangs head and avoids eye contact* :P
    *Shantala @ ShanayaTales*

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    1. Susan Gourley/KelleyApril 18, 2015 at 1:53 PM

      Oh my. That makes six people in the entire world who haven't seen it. LOL

      Delete
  16. Stephen TrempApril 18, 2015 at 11:39 AM

    That movie had so many quotable quotes it's inconceivable.

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    1. Susan Gourley/KelleyApril 18, 2015 at 1:54 PM

      I don't think that word means what you think it means.

      Delete
  17. M PaxApril 18, 2015 at 11:41 AM

    Bye boys! Have fun storming the castle!

    lol I say that a lot. Love this movie. Untethered Realms / MPax

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  18. Matthew MacNishApril 18, 2015 at 2:07 PM

    Such a perfectly quotable movie! Love it.

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  19. J E OneilApril 18, 2015 at 2:09 PM

    I remember in high school how my friends would gush over this movies. Love stories just aren't for me, though...

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  20. Gwen GardnerApril 18, 2015 at 2:16 PM

    I'm one of those rare people who hasn't seen it. I will have to rectify that. Thanks for sharing, Susan!

    Untethered Realms

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  21. UnknownApril 18, 2015 at 3:20 PM

    Love this movie. I watch it all the time with my kids. It really has something for everyone.

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  22. cleemckenzieApril 18, 2015 at 5:59 PM

    This movie's popularity is all about the actors. What an amazing cast they assembled, and it paid off.

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  23. bettyApril 18, 2015 at 7:14 PM

    I must confess I have not seen this movie. Bits and pieces of it but not all the way through.

    betty

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  24. Tara TylerApril 18, 2015 at 8:28 PM

    and I'm so glad they have never made a sequel from this and I hope they never do!

    anybody got a peanut?
    dream of large women
    singed a bit were you?

    ps, where do you roam for conferences, you sound experienced!

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  25. Ava QuinnApril 18, 2015 at 10:01 PM

    "Move the thing!
    And the other thing!" ~Vizzinni on the boat

    Love this movie. So does The Man and The Urchins. We've watched it together a bunch. My girls still act like Fred Savage with the kissing parts. Which makes me happy. :)
    Great story choice, Sue!

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  26. Carrie-AnneApril 19, 2015 at 1:26 AM

    I've never seen this movie, though then again, I have really dinosaur taste and am unfamiliar with a lot of well-known actors and movies from the modern era. The vast majority of the films I've seen are from the silent and early sound era.

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  27. kaykualaApril 19, 2015 at 6:55 AM

    Yes Love stories should be way above! It appeals to young and old. The young wanting to know more and the old to relive what great moments there were! Hank is here:

    http://imagery77.blogspot.com/2015/04/photography-with-yusuf-hashim.html

    Hank

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  28. Nadine_FeldmanApril 19, 2015 at 8:11 AM

    Agreed! I don't have much sexual content in my books and don't want it. I think we can be romantic and sensual but leave something to the reader's imagination. As for The Princess Bride, it's a wonderful film that I should watch again. It's been a long time.

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  29. RobinApril 19, 2015 at 12:10 PM

    He's only mostly dead.

    This is one of my favorite movies, too. I couldn't tell you how many times I've watched it, but... let's just say a lot.

    One of my CPs recently said that every story is a love story in some way. Yep. I agree with that.

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  30. Tammy TheriaultApril 19, 2015 at 11:39 PM

    Cult classic!! Used to watch this with my sisters growing up

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  31. Rachel PattinsonApril 20, 2015 at 2:23 AM

    I used to watch this film a lot when I was younger, but I only learnt the name of it a few years ago! I love watching it whenever it comes on TV :)

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  32. UnknownApril 20, 2015 at 4:05 AM

    Classic movie - every line is a memorable quote. Have you read the book? It's almost better than the film, if you could possibly believe it.

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  33. Cate MastersApril 20, 2015 at 9:39 AM

    Middle daughter's favorite movie! I couldn't help but know the lines, lol

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  34. Hilary Melton-ButcherApril 20, 2015 at 1:24 PM

    Hi Susan .. I of course can't think of any quote .. such is the way of my brain .. but I'm sure there's plenty .. cheers Hilary

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  35. S. L. HennessyApril 20, 2015 at 5:27 PM

    BEST. MOVIE. EVER. (Anybody want a peanut?)

    Good luck with the A to Z Challenge!
    A to Z Co-Host S. L. Hennessy
    http://pensuasion.blogspot.com/

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  36. Heather M. GardnerApril 24, 2015 at 2:05 PM

    I can quote this WHOLE movie and do on a regular basis!

    Heather

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