Home / Quotes / Quote by Mary J. Miller

Quote by Mary J. Miller

“I think there simply comes a point at which you're beating your head against the wall with revision, when you're making something different but not better. For me, revision usually has more to do with making the language prettier, finding clearer images, using more active verbs.”

Quote by Mary J. Miller

Author

Mary J. Miller is an individual whose profession and category are unknown. Detailed information about her is limited. more

You May Also Like

“Perhaps adding a line or two of dialogue to try to better capture an emotion. But I've found that if the story isn't there in the beginning, right from the start, I generally can't beat it into shape no matter how much rewriting I do.”

Ifs Trying Two Matter Stories Found Lines Emotion Shapes Beats Dialogue Capture Rewriting

Author:Mary J. Miller

“I don't revise a lot when writing short stories. As far as the novel, I definitely thought more about plot. Honestly, I'm still pretty confused about what "plot" means. I've been reading some of my Goodreads reviews and one reader noted that the The Last Days of California "reads like a short story stretched to the breaking point, padded and brought into novel range..." I don't know what people want, really.”

“I don't know what people want, really. Does somebody have to die? What is meant by resolution? These are questions that I don't quite know what to do with. That being said, I did want the characters to be changed by the end of the book. But will what they've gone through alter their lives from this point forward, i.e. will they make different (better) choices? Probably not.”

People Knows Want Doe Said Book Different Ends Character Dies Choices Gone Changed Resolution

Author:Mary J. Miller

“I suppose this is, essentially, my perspective on life. Just because we've made mistakes and learned things from them intellectually doesn't mean we won't continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.”

Mean Made Mistake Perspective Made A Mistake Same Mistakes

Author:Mary J. Miller

“Making all of those words work together is difficult. It took a lot of cleaning up, a lot of rewriting scenes in order to make them more vivid. I used everything - every oddity I've ever seen on the side of the road, every interesting memory I could make relevant.”

Together Used Order Difficult Sides Memories Interesting Scene Working Together Relevant Cleaning Very Interesting Vivid Rewriting Cleaning Up Oddities

Author:Mary J. Miller

“I can't remember who said it - I think it was Allan Gurganus when he was visiting the Michener Center - but he told us to "spend [our] gold," meaning, put everything you have into a story. Other "gold" will be waiting for you for your next project.”

Thinking Said I Can Stories Remember Next Waiting Projects Gold Visiting Waiting For You

Author:Mary J. Miller

“It's difficult for me to imagine any scene differently because I've read the book so many times. The book, as a whole, seems like a document that wouldn't withstand any changes at this point. Or perhaps I simply can't imagine having to revise it again.”

Book Whole Seems Difficult Imagine Scene Documents

Author:Mary J. Miller

“We need a strong, bold constitutional conservative who won't back down and who will fight for the values we believe in. That's what we need for our nominee, whether it is me or whether it is someone else.”

Needs Believe Values Fighting Strong Down And Conservative

Author:Michele Bachmann

“There were definitely scenes I struggled with more than others: the car accident and the thunderstorm are two that come to mind. It's difficult to write about a thunderstorm. There are only so many ways to describe it and our vocabulary is so limited. And the car accident scene required a tense, manic quality that had to be conveyed in the language, as well as the character's dialogue and actions. I was editing these scenes long after I thought I was finished with them.”

Way Writing Mind Wells Long Two Character Action Language Difficult Quality Car Scene Finished Accidents Dialogue Editing Vocabulary Tense Manic Car Accident Thunderstorm

Author:Mary J. Miller

“It's something that's difficult to explain but I think all writers work this way to some extent, whether we're aware of it or not. For me, writing has little to do with thinking. I don't want to control the narrative. I listen to the rhythm of the words and dialogue and try to give the characters the space in which to say and do what they want without intervening too much.”

Thinking Way Want Giving Writing Trying Littles Character Difficult Space Too Much Dialogue Rhythm Narrative Intervening

Author:Mary J. Miller