Quotes About Writing

I try to sort of make myself emotional in the moment when I'm writing, and that always translates better. When I'm writing, I can't do abstract.

I write what I write in the way that I write it. I'm not being abstract, you know. I'm talking about something that, you know, is a part of my life.

Because lots of LGBTQ people are really smart, and there's so much really interesting reading that can be done, and so much academic writing that's been done about it, people can end up getting quite academic about it.

I'm an accidental writer.

That's the way it happens - some characters you set out to use, some are happy accidents. As long as it works, it doesn't really matter how you got them.

It's really hard to be a story writer - no matter how much acclaim you get - and not write a novel.

I always talk to my students about the need to write for the joy of writing. I try to sort of disaggregate the acclaim from the act of writing.

People are interested in writing, and often there's an unjustifiable sense of people to believe my talking to them for the book is going to accord them any sort of fame. Which it won't. At the same time, they can be more circumspect if they know they're on the record.

No matter what you write, you need an active imagination.

I always write after I think for quite a long time, so the actual writing time is rather short. I think a lot of the work gets done when you have something on your mind while you're doing many other things.

'An Unquiet Mind' wasn't hard to write in terms of the actual writing of it.

Mostly, research is much more fun than the actual writing.

Even if you plan your book, the actual writing is unplanned.

With books like 'AD: After Death' and 'Wytches,' a lot of those things are inspired by reading things that terrify me.

It's a challenge for any writer to write beyond what he knows. You get material, adapt it, and do the best you can with it.

I've adapted my own work a couple of times, and I've also given my novels to other people to adapt, and I do find that quite difficult.

I have a writing addiction.

Stories often take their own course once you start to write them, especially when you have the benefit of a writers' room and a team of people augmenting and adding to the material.

Writing in another language gives me an additional freedom, an additional way of thinking. It's a challenge, but I like the challenge.

I adore Toni Morrison. I think we would all be better writers if we read more of her.

Really, I've worked my whole adult life at fiction, to try and write fiction.

I don't take advances for my books.

What I've done is I've started writing a novel, so that's my big adventure.

Write the kind of story you would like to read. People will give you all sorts of advice about writing, but if you are not writing something you like, no one else will like it either.