“If you have some other profession that allows you your evenings or weekends, terrific, stick with that. Having a profession other than writing also has the potential side benefit of providing you with material, something to write about.” IfsWritingSidesMaterialsBenefitsSticksProfessionEveningWeekendProvidingTerrific Author:Debra Dean
“I tell my students, if you're interested in marine biology or llama farming, follow that string. Yes, it will probably take you a longer time to write that book, but it's not a race. That's another great thing about being a writer: you don't age out.” IfsWritingBookAgeRaceStudentsGreat ThingsBiologyStringsMarineFarmingMarine BiologyLlamas Author:Debra Dean
“I kept writing short stories and sending out my manuscript, and it kept coming back like a bad penny. It was rejected all over town, quite often in very complimentary terms, but rejected nonetheless. Agents would return it saying that they loved it but didn't think they could sell it, or they would ask if I could change the collection into linked stories.” IfsThinkingWritingStoriesAsksTermReturnTownsSellsAgentsIf I CouldCollectionsShort StoryRejectedLinkedComing BackPenniesManuscriptsWriting ShortWriting Short Stories Author:Debra Dean
“If you had told me twenty years ago that I would write a novel set in Russia, much less two, I simply wouldn't have believed you. I had no familiarity with Russia or its history, but part of what drives me as a reader, and more and more as a writer, is curiosity, the desire to explore unfamiliar terrain and inhabit alternate lives.” IfsWritingYearsTwoDesireNovelReaderYears AgoTwentiesCuriosityRussiaFamiliarityUnfamiliarTerrain Author:Debra Dean
“If anything, I've found nonfiction a little easier. You don't have to make anything up. Of course, that's the inherent difficulty as well: when you hit an information black hole, you don't get to make it up. That hasn't come up too often with this project though. I'm lucky to have tons of primary source material , reams of letters and diaries and memoirs.” IfsWellsLittlesCoursesFoundBlackInformationMaterialsSourceEasierLuckyProjectsLettersDifficultyCome UpHolesMemoirPrimariesNonfictionInherentDiariesBlack HolePrimary Source Author:Debra Dean
“One of the nice things about moving from acting to writing is that your work can be in the public eye without having to be in the public eye yourself. I guess that's not completely true. If you're lucky - and I have been - there are book tours and lectures. I don't have stage fright, and I enjoy meeting people, so that's easy and enjoyable, but it's not a constant, and it's not celebrity.” PeopleIfsWritingHas BeensBookEyeMovingEasyEnjoyActingNiceStageLuckyConstantMeetingsLecturesEnjoyableNice ThingsFrightPublic EyeStage Fright Author:Debra Dean
“You're unusual. That's better than popular if you have some courage.” IfsUnusual Book:The Madonnas of Leningrad: A Novel Source: The Madonnas of Leningrad: A Novel
