Quotes About Youth

Young women look at me and think, 'She's really confident. She has always had it figured out,' but actually, I really, really haven't. That has come over time as I became a young woman.

I have a really big heart for young women - having been one - when there aren't a lot of good examples for young women.

Today Miss World is all about young women who bring about a global change.

I will not allow my experience to scare off other young women or girls from running for office. For the sake of all of us we cannot let that happen.

Ah, well, I do think the generation that came after me has changed. I think there is a growing sense that young women should like themselves a bit more.

I've become a voice for young women who are growing up and uncomfortable being vulnerable, uncomfortable with changes, heartbreak - and becoming jaded.

I think people don't give young women enough credit, really.

I'm so grateful to have been able to go to the world and tell the story of South African women and South African children. As I stood there for Miss Universe, I spoke about leadership and I spoke about empowering young women and young boys as well.

I spent most of my 20s working as an actor. I started writing and directing because I was frustrated with the types of roles that were available to young women.

Young writers need to be encouraged to write - just write - with no restrictions on form, style or content.

Young writers should keep out of pubs and remember that the cliche way of the artistic life is a lie.

I often think I can see it in myself and in other young writers, this desperate desire to please coupled with a kind of hostility to the reader.

There are plenty of clever young writers. But there is too much genius, not enough talent.

The hardest thing to teach young writers is that it's wonderful to tell your truth. And that's what you should do. But it damn well better be beautiful.

There are so many talented young writers named Jonathan, with whom by comparison I suffer terribly.

Normally, young writers have all the time in the world and they don't always use it well.

Probably the biggest temptation that young writers face is to be entertaining, to show your bag of tricks and do a bit of tap dancing. I read a lot of things, and I keep seeing this brocade of voice where someone is trying to be too pally with you or ingratiating on the page.

I think what happens to young writers is that they use up every life experience that they have had up to that point for their first novel. Then you have to come up with something for the second novel, but you really don't have anything to say.

When I talk to students or young writers about the importance of being unafraid to take controversial positions, I'm struck by the degree to which they can't entertain a thought, much less commit one to paper, without imagining the cacophony of snark they'll get in response.

I think young writers ought to be heretical.

What I tell young writers is to find those things that you're so passionate about that your energy doesn't run away.

I think young writers should get other degrees first, social sciences, arts degrees or even business degrees. What you learn is research skills, a necessity because a lot of writing is about trying to find information.

There's a disease that young writers are susceptible to, which is, I will do this because I can - hubris, I suppose - without stopping to work out why.

'Skins' had been a brilliant breeding ground for young actors, young directors and young writers. It was a safe environment to experiment; it tried new things, and it was an amazing time and amazing to be part of it.