“Years ago I read an interview with Paula Fox in which she said that in writing, truth is just as important as story. Reading that interview was the first time I really understood that there's no point in trying to impress people with my cleverness when I can just try to write honestly about what matters most to me.” PeopleWritingTryingYearsFirstsSaidI CanImportantMatterStoriesReadingTruth IsUnderstoodFirst TimeYears AgoHonestlyInterviewsWhat MattersImpressFoxesNo PointClevernessNo Point In Trying Author:Molly Antopol
“So it was doing all this research or going to the archives or doing all these interviews or traveling, and then trying as much as I can to delete all of that research in a later draft so that all the reader cares about is the characters.” TryingI CanCharacterCareReaderResearchInterviewsArchives Author:Molly Antopol
“People are going to bash you. You get rejected. It's hard. I don't really feel like that's my place as the teacher. I think the most important thing is to figure out what they're trying to do and turn them onto writers who are doing similar stuff. I think that's something I can do more than anything else: get them to be big readers.” PeopleThinkingTryingImportantTeacherRejectedBash Author:Molly Antopol
“There are certain writers I can't read when I'm trying to write because their voices are so distinct. Cormac McCarthy, he's the most different writer from anything I've ever written, but there's something about those really spare sentences that is just tough - it would be too much of an influence. Grace Paley is my favorite writer. Her stuff is so voice-driven, when I read her a lot I want to make my writing more voice-y and dialogue-heavy. I love a lot of stuff in translation.” WritingTryingDifferentGraceInfluenceToughMy FavoriteTranslations Author:Molly Antopol
