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Quote by Tom Robbins

“I started writing when I was 5 years old. I would dictate stories to my mother, and she would copy them in a scrapbook. If she changed anything to make it, in her opinion, better, I would throw a tantrum.”

Quote by Tom Robbins

Author

Tom Robbins (born July 22, 1936) is an acclaimed American novelist known for his whimsical, philosophical, and often surreal storytelling. His works blend pop culture, Eastern spirituality, and countercultural themes, with notable titles including 'Another Roadside Attraction' and 'Even Cowgirls Get the Blues'. Born in North Carolina, Robbins worked as a journalist and art critic before turning to fiction. His novels are celebrated for their linguistic playfulness, eccentric characters, and profound meditations on love, freedom, and the human condition. Though not a recipient of major literary prizes, he has cultivated a devoted global readership and influenced generations of writers. He remains a distinctive voice in contemporary American literature. more

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“I can't remember exactly the first thing I wrote, but one of the stories, was about a pilot whose plane crashed on a desert island, and the only other life on the island was a brown cow with yellow spots. The cow had... to survive, had taught itself to eat and get nutriments from sand. I guess, I've always been interested in adaptability and taking whatever life hands you and running with it.”

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“First I think I was interested in the stories, and later on, I became more interested in the language itself, so the stories became almost secondary, but it was kind of a background music for my life.”

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“I never outline. I don't work from an outline. I have no idea where the book is going. I mean, even two-thirds of the way through, I don't know how it's going to end.”

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“I finish the book so I can see how it's going to end. I write that first sentence, and if it's the right first sentence, it leads to the right second sentence and three years later you have a 500-page manuscript, but it really is like going on a trip, going on a journey. It's a voyage.”

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“Whenever I finish a book, I go off and have some kind of adventure. Having had an adventure in my writing chair or on my writing sofa, an internal adventure, then I need to balance that off with an external adventure, so I'll go tramping through Africa or whitewater rafting or float to Hawaii in a martini shaker or something.”

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“You just write and you don't try to make sense of it. You just put it down the way you got it.”

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“I was always laughing in church.”

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“I don't know what the 'big time' is.”

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“New York forces you to be in endless surreal situations.”

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“I perhaps could have been somewhat better. One of the interesting things about playing competitive sports as a child is that you confront your own limitations rather starkly at a certain point.”

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