“I have a different purpose in writing each novel. Some of them seem more similar than others, but the purposes are always different.” WritingDifferentSeemsPurposeNovel Author:Jesse Ball
“The books turn out to be about things afterwards. I don't go into them with concepts, for the most part.” BookTurnsConcepts Author:Jesse Ball
“A beginning idea for a book might be: a boy emerges from a hole in the ground. He enters a house. The book will take place in the first ten minutes following his arrival.” FirstsBookIdeasMightHouseBoysMinutesTenFollowingHolesArrivals Author:Jesse Ball
“Different times and different structures make more sense at one point in life than at another.” DifferentStructureDifferent TimesPoints In Life Author:Jesse Ball
“I have a very basic notion of the structure the book might have - that's mostly it. The rest is luck and happenstance.” BookMightLuckStructureNotionHappenstance Author:Jesse Ball
“I don't start with an idea or concept in the sense that I flesh out an idea or concept and set it at the center of something.” IdeasConceptsFlesh Author:Jesse Ball
“I begin with an image of some sort, just as if you saw something out of a window, and then went to the window to see what it was.” IfsSawsWindow Author:Jesse Ball
“I believe my friends think I'm funny. All the books are full of humor. Maybe it is a quiet sort of humor that masquerades as not-much-at-all. It is certainly easy to miss.” ThinkingBelieveBookI BelieveEasyMissingQuietMy FriendsMasquerade Author:Jesse Ball
“Much of my work has been done in first person.” FirstsPersonsHas BeensDoneFirst Person Author:Jesse Ball
“Clarity is the most important thing to me - in thinking - and so I try in the books to be as clear as possible.” ThinkingTryingImportantBookClearImportant ThingsClarity Author:Jesse Ball