“Writing keeps me at my desk, constantly trying to write a perfect sentence. It is a great privilege to make one’s living from writing sentences. The sentence is the greatest invention of civilization. To sit all day long assembling these extraordinary strings of words is a marvelous thing… For me, a line has to sing before it does anything else. The great thrill is when a sentence that starts out being completely plain suddenly begins to sing, rising far above itself and above any expectation I might have had for it. That’s what keeps me going on those dark December days when I think about how I could be living instead of writing.” Writing Author:John Banville
“Fictional characters are made of words, not flesh; they do not have free will, they do not exercise volition. They are easily born, and as easily killed off.” WritingMadeCharacterBornExerciseFleshFree WillVolitionFictional Character Author:John Banville
“I live in Dublin, God knows why. There are greatly more congenial places I could have settled in - Italy, France, Manhattan - but I like the climate here, and Irish light seems to be essential for me and for my writing.” KnowsWritingLightSeemsEssentialsClimateFranceGod KnowsManhattanDublin Author:John Banville
“The effect of prizes on one's career - if that is what to call it - is considerable, since they give one more clout with publishers and more notoriety among journalists. The effect on one's writing, however, is nil - otherwise, one would be in deep trouble.” IfsGivingWritingWould BeCareersTroubleEffectsJournalistPrizePublishersNotorietyClout Author:John Banville
“In order really to write one has to sink deep into the self and become lost there.” WritingSelfOrderLost Author:John Banville
“Writing keeps me at my desk, constantly trying to write a perfect sentence. It is a great privilege to make one's living from writing sentences. The sentence is the greatest invention of civilization. To sit all day long assembling these extraordinary strings of words is a marvelous thing. I couldn't ask for anything better. It's as near to godliness as I can get.” WritingTryingLongI CanAsksPerfectCivilizationExtraordinaryPrivilegeSentencesInventionStringsDesksMarvelousGodlinessAssemblingMarvelous Things Author:John Banville
