“For a while I never show anybody what I'm writing, and during that time I need the feeling that publishing is only an option. I might publish this, I might not. I think if I had to publish it, I might panic.” IfsThinkingNeedsWritingShowsFeelingsMightPanicPublishingPublish Author:Daniel Kehlmann
“You say fate is almost indispensable to literature - I think it's completely indispensable, at least in a novel, because a novel always has a plot. Even if nothing happens, even if someone just spends a day walking around Dublin, or whatever, there's still something going on.” IfsThinkingStillsHappensLiteratureNovelFateWalkingThings HappenPlotIndispensableDublin Author:Daniel Kehlmann
“So the fact that there's someone who's planning what happens to the characters, writing it down, means that the characters always have a fate. And when we think about fate, we tend think of it as the thing we would have if we were literary characters, that is, if there were somebody out there, writing us.” IfsThinkingWritingMeanCharacterFactsHappensFatePlanningLiterary Characters Author:Daniel Kehlmann
“When I look at life I try to be as agnostic and unmetaphysical as possible. So I have to admit that, most probably, we do not have a fate. But I think that's something that draws us to novels - that the characters always have a fate. Even if it's a terrible fate, at least they have one.” IfsThinkingTryingLooksCharacterNovelFateTerribleDrawsAgnostic Author:Daniel Kehlmann
“We think in terms of fate even if we don't believe in it. Even something as trivial as missing the bus - we think: Well, it might be good for something. We always have that thought, no matter how critical we try to be. The idea that everything is always total chance - we're not made for that.” IfsThinkingTryingBelieveWellsMadeIdeasMatterMightTermChanceFateMissingDon't BelieveCriticalBe GoodBus Author:Daniel Kehlmann
“I think that's just what happens when you write a big bestseller. After that you need to find out: What's the best way to go on? And the worst thing you could do would be to try to repeat the formula. That would be suffocating.” ThinkingWayNeedsWritingTryingBigsHappensWould BeWorstGoes OnBest WayRepeatsFormulasWorst ThingsSuffocating Author:Daniel Kehlmann
“I think I can work anywhere, but you don't get the same kind of inspiration everywhere. New York theater has become a big inspiration for me. I only started writing for the stage myself because I like to see the good, mostly off-Broadway plays in New York.” ThinkingWritingKindI CanPlayBigsInspirationStageNew YorkTheaterBroadway Author:Daniel Kehlmann
