Starting with Quotes? Yes or no?

So here is the question: is it okay to start stories with a quote of any kind? Or is it just garbage?

... I generally hate quotes to begin with. Because either the quote is really really good and the story is subpar, compared to the quote, or the quote delays the action.

Why not?

I actually rather enjoy them. First, it tells you a little something about the author or the story. Second, if you are familiar with the quote (especially if it's a little more obscure), you feel like you're sharing an in-joke with the author or characters. Third, it's a good way to find out more about things you mightn't have considered or known about (if it's good enough to be quoted in your favorite book, for example, it's probably worth reading on it's own).

For the record, my NaNoWriMo novel starts with a quote from Nostradamus.

I love starting with quotes. For me it pulls things together, I don't know, I really like how it looks.

With my NaNoWriMo novel, since it is historical fiction, using quotes from the time period and spoken by people from then really brings more impact to the story.

Pretentious!

Unless the quote is by a character in the story. Then it makes sense.

Prokaryote

I never start with quotes, but I have nothing against them ^_^ Quotes are cool.

Epigraphs, I like them. They can help set the tone, aid in direction, and help the readers to get a feel for what's coming.

One of my favorites novels ever -Watership Down by Richard Adams- has a quote before each chapter. Some from the Bible, Greek writings, Shakespeare, even quotes of people like Napoleon that were still in there original language. It definitely added to the experience.

Oh course, as I say that, I've never used them, but that's because I've never written anything that I thought it was appropriate to use quotes with. You have to think about what kind of story you have and what kind of quote you want to use. Do they complement each other?

If it's well done, I love it. I think it can really add to the story, either by revealing an aspect that you might not have thought of before, or by setting a tone for a segment of the story.

I can't remember if I've ever started anything with a quote, and I can't remember ever wanting to, but it doesn't really matter to me if anyone does or not. It's just one of those things that are either there, or not there. And I don't care about either.

Peace, love, chocolate,
Muffin

Quotes can be tricky- a good one will have the right "flavor" to it- you know what I mean? But if the quote replaces something that the writer should be telling throught the story, then they are an annoying cop out.

Some of my favorite books use quotes- Inkheart and Inkspell by Cornelia Funke. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books also use quotes well.

I personally have never used quotes, though.

I vote no. Usually, anyway. Because I always skip quotes at the beginning of a chapter and such, and understand the rest just fine. So if it's not necessary, why bother? That said, there're times when I like quotes at the beginning. I suppose when there's a generally odd setting, something I wasn't expecting. Especially things set in the city, for some reason.

bookworm201 wrote:The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books also use quotes well.

Ooh, yeah, that was really well done.

Liz Curtis Higgs also does a really good job in the ones she chooses in her series set in 18th century Scotland.

Quotes are good, specially if they're good ones, and catch the mood of your story. There's this graphic novel called Watchmen, which is probably my favourite book ever, that has a quote at the end of each chapter. From Bob Dylan, and William Blake, and otehrs. And the quotes just add layers of depth to what you just read, that they actually make the book better.

The only time I've used quotes is when I'm taking a diccionary definition of a word that is important to some article I'm writing, but I love them.

Prokaryote wrote:Pretentious!

How is it pretentious?

(I mean, I can see how it could be pretentious, but is it really fair to blanket-statement say that it is always pretentious to use quotes at the beginnings of books/chapters?)

Meep wrote:

Prokaryote wrote:Pretentious!

(I mean, I can see how it could be pretentious, but is it really fair to blanket-statement say that it is always pretentious to use quotes at the beginnings of books/chapters?)

Yeah, it was a blanket statement. It's not always pretentious. But sometimes it comes across badly; and it seems to me that since it's not essential to the story, you might as well play it safe and not mess with that stuff, lest you make the wrong impression.

Prokaryote