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David Nicholls Quotes

Novelist

David Nicholls is a renowned British novelist known for his delicate emotional portrayal and unique narrative style. His works often focus on modern interpersonal relationships and emotional entanglements, which are highly appreciated by readers.

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All Ifs Thinking People Writing Love Feels Years Book Littles One Day Wells Knows Life Moments Emma Laughing Bits Firsts Friendship Hands

Famous David Nicholls Quotes

“Sometimes, when it’s going badly, she wonders if what she believes to be a love of the written word is really just a fetish for stationery. The true writer, the born writer, will scribble words on scraps of litter, the back of a bus tickets, on the wall of a cell. Emma is lost on anything less than 120gsm.”

Writing Funny Writer Written Word Stationary Emma Morely

Book:One Day

Source: One Day

“She wondered if she was doomed to be one of those people who spend their lives trying things. She had tried being in a band, writing plays and children's books, she had tried acting and getting a job in publishing. Perhaps crime fiction was just another failed project to place alongside trapeze, Buddhism and Spanish.”

Writing Success Projects Trying New Things

Book:One Day

Source: One Day

“I think I became a writer because I used to write letters to my friends, and I used to love writing them. I loved the idea that you can put marks on a page and send it off, and two days later, someone laughs somewhere else in the world.”

Thinking World Writing Two Ideas Used Laughing Pages My Friends Letters Mark Somewhere Else Two Days Used To Love

Author:David Nicholls

“Screenwriting is always about what people say or do, whereas good writing is about a thought process or an abstract image or an internal monologue, none of which works on screen.”

People Writing Process Screens Abstract Internals Good Writing Screenwriting Monologues Thought Process

Author:David Nicholls

“I usually write on a computer - unless I get stuck, at which point I switch to write by hand. I think that's common among writers if they get cornered on something.”

Ifs Thinking Writing Hands Common Computer Stuck Cornered

Author:David Nicholls

“If there's anything I'm keen to get better at in my writing, then it's the writing of prose as opposed to the writing of dialogue.”

Ifs Writing Dialogue Get Better Prose

Author:David Nicholls

“At university, I used to write silly little sketches and monologues, but never fiction.”

Writing Littles Used Fiction University Silly Monologues Silly Little

Author:David Nicholls

“I worry sometimes that I'm a bit moralistic; always writing about men who are learning to grow up, not be so self-absorbed, selfish or badly behaved. I wonder if that's dull and liberal and wimpy? I should probably write something that celebrates wickedness.”

Ifs Men Should Writing Self Sometimes Grows Bits Wonder Worry Growing Up Selfish Celebrate Dull Wickedness Self Absorbed

Author:David Nicholls

“She drinks pints of coffee and writes little observations and ideas for stories with her best fountain pen on the linen-white pages of expensive notebooks. Sometimes, when it's going badly, she wonders if what she believes to be a love of the written word is really just a fetish for stationery.”

Ifs Writing Believe Littles Ideas Sometimes Stories White Wonder Written Drink Pages Coffee Observation Expensive Pens Fountain Notebook Written Word Fetish Pints Linen Fountain Pens Stationery

Book:One Day

Source: One Day

“It would be inappropiate, undignified, at 38, to conduct friendships or love affairs with the ardour or intensity of a 22 year old. Falling in love like that? Writing poetry? Crying at pop songs? Dragging people into photobooths? Taking a whole day to make a compilation tape? Asking people if they wanted to share your bed, just for company? If you quoted Bob Dylan or TS Eliot or, god forbid, Brecht at someone these days they would smile politely and step quietly backwards, and who would blame them? Ridiculous, at 38, to expect a song or book or film to change your life.”

“She had reached a turning point. She no longer believed that a situation could be made better by writing a poem about it.”

Writing Made Situation Turning Points

Book:One Day

Source: One Day

“The trick of it, she told herself, is to be courageous and bold and make a different. Not change the world exactly, just the bit around you. Go out there with your double-first, your passion and your new Smith Carona electric typewriter and work hard at ... something. Change lives through art maybe. Write beautifully. Cherish your friends, stay true to your principles, live passionately and fully and well. Experience new things. Love and be loved if at all possible. East sensibly. Stuff like that.”

“The true writer, the born writer, will scribble words on scraps of litter, the back of a bus tickets, on the wall of a cell.”

Writing Born Wall Cells Bus Tickets Scrap Scribbles

Author:David Nicholls

“She made a firm resolution, one of the resolutions she was making almost daily these days. No more sleepovers, no more writing poetry, no more wasting time. Time to tidy up your life. Time to start again.”

Writing Made These Days Firm Resolution Wasting Time Tidy Writing Poetry Life Time Sleepovers

Author:David Nicholls

“…she was discovering once again that reading and writing were not the same — you couldn't just soak it up then squeeze it out again.”

Writing Reading Discovering Reading And Writing

Book:One Day

Source: One Day

About the Author

Born: November 30, 1966
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 233

Books & Sources

One DayRelated source material

UsRelated source material

A Question of Attraction: A NovelRelated source material

You Are HereRelated source material

Starter for Ten: A NovelRelated source material

Us: A NovelRelated source material

Starter for TenRelated source material

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