“I feel like I'm almost ready to write fiction about the border. But even after 10 years of writing nonfiction about it, I don't think I know quite enough to do it right.” ThinkingKnowsFeelsWritingYearsEnoughFictionReadyBordersNonfictionWriting Nonfiction Author:William T. Vollmann
“Whereas if I want to create a prostitute character now from memories of different prostitutes and inventing stuff, I can say, "this could happen," "this is quite plausible." But I don't feel I know enough about border life to do the latter.” IfsKnowsWantFeelsI CanDifferentEnoughCharacterHappensStuffMemoriesBordersLatterInventingPlausible Author:William T. Vollmann
“[Ernest ]Hemingway always said, "Write about what you know." I think you can do that, and if you want to write about what you don't know, you can. It just takes a lot more work.” IfsThinkingKnowsWantWritingSaidCan Do Author:William T. Vollmann
“If this advertisement be not sufficient, I can only protrude my wormlike tendrils of apology, craving forbearance on the grounds that a writer must write about what he knows, and since I know nothing about any subject it scarcely matters where I dabble.” IfsKnowsWritingI CanMatterSubjectsSufficientApologyCravingAdvertisementsForbearance Book:Butterfly Stories: A Novel Source: Butterfly Stories: A Novel
“I wish I could go back and rewrite my first book, You Bright and Risen Angels; I could do a better job. But in the meantime, nobody knows as much about my books as I do. Nobody has the right but me to say which words go into my books or get deleted or edited. When I'm dying, I'll smile, knowing I stood up for my books. If I die with more money, that wouldn't bring a smile to my face. Unless I got better drugs or more delicious-looking nurses.” IfsKnowsFirstsBookJobsFacesDiesWishKnowingDyingDrugAngelNurseMore MoneyDeliciousRisenNobody KnowsStood UpBetter JobsEdited Author:William T. Vollmann
