“When I'm following what a character does in a book I don't have to think about my own life. Where I am. Why I'm here. My moms and my brother and my old man. I can just think about the character's life and try and figure out what's gonna happen. Plus when you're in a group home you pretty much can't go anywhere, right? But when you read books you almost feel like you're out there in the world. Like you're going on this adventure right with the main character. At least, that's the way I do it. It's actually not that bad. Even if it is mad nerdy.” IfsThinkingMenWorldWayFeelsTryingDoeI CanBookCharacterHomeHappensMy OwnGroupsFiguresAdventureBrotherLike YouMomMadFollowingMy MomMy BrotherPlusOld ManMy Own LifeMain CharactersNerdy Author:Matt de la Pena
“The whole guilt thing of not feeling Mexican enough was a big deal, too. On the one hand, you have your grandmother who is anointing you as a chosen one because you are light, but then you feel like you're less because you are lighter than your cousins, who are more down on the streets. You know? So that confusion was all I wrote about.” KnowsFeelsEnoughWholeFeelingsHandsBigsLightDealsStreetsLike YouGuiltChosenConfusionGrandmotherCousinMexicanBig DealLightersAnointingYour GrandmotherChosen OneYour Cousin Author:Matt de la Pena
“I feel like I have a lot of novel ideas, but they often come up while I'm already in the process of working on a book. You have to watch out with the slutty new idea.” FeelsBookIdeasProcessWatchesNovelCome UpNew Ideas Author:Matt de la Pena
“Whenever I teach writing I tell them to never revise as you go. Finish the first draft. This is my writing advice. I can't do that myself. I'm lying to everybody. I write a paragraph, and then I rewrite that paragraph. I want to feel like I'm standing on firm ground before I move on to the next paragraph. Mentally, I have to do that.” WantFeelsWritingFirstsI CanMovingLyingNextTeachAdviceStandingFirmWriting AdviceParagraph Author:Matt de la Pena
“To me, if the writing doesn't have rhythm, it feels dead. I lose all confidence. The music has to emerge to feel confident enough to move on to the next major chapter.” IfsFeelsWritingEnoughMovingNextLosesMajorsRhythmChapters Author:Matt de la Pena
“This is me putting it simply; the politicians are one demographic and they see that Arizona is changing. I feel like the only instinct to retain power is to have education favor you. You have this Mexican American program that helps kids take ownership of their race and their power. It threatens the political powers that are in place.” FeelsHelpingKidsPoliticalRacePoliticianProgramInstinctFavorsOwnershipMexicanArizonaPolitical PowerDemographicsMexican AmericanThis Is Me Author:Matt de la Pena
“But when you read books you almost feel like you're out there in the world. Like you're going on this adventure right with the main character. At least, that's the way I do it. It's actually not that bad. Even if it is mad nerdy.” IfsWorldWayFeelsBookCharacterAdventureLike YouMadMain CharactersNerdy Author:Matt de la Pena
“My chest got this weird feeling, like when you stare into the eyes of a little baby and the baby looks back up at you and you can feel how pure and innocent it is, so much that it makes your stomach feel empty - probably 'cause you realize you used to be pure like that, too, and now you're not.” FeelsLooksLittlesFeelingsEyeUsedCausesRealizingBabyPureEmptyInnocentUsed To BeStaringChestsStomachWeird Feeling Author:Matt de la Pena
“I guess I don't really know what I want to do, either. Sometimes I feel like a shook-up bottle of soda. Like, I have all this passion that wants to explode, but I don't know where to aim it yet.” KnowsWantLifeFeelsSometimesPassionAimBottlesSoda Author:Matt de la Pena
