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Quote by George Saunders

“My general approach to writing fiction is that you try to have as few conceptual notions as possible and you just respond to the energy that the story is making rather than having a big over plan. I think if you have a big over plan, the danger is that you might just take your plan and then you bore everybody. I always joke that it's like going on a date with index cards. You know, at 7:30 p.m. I should ask about her mother. You keep all the control to yourself but you are kind of insulting to the other person.”

Quote by George Saunders

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George Saunders
George Saunders

George Saunders, born on December 2, 1958, is an American writer known for his unique humor and profound insights. His works, primarily short stories, have gained widespread recognition and have been honored with numerous literary awards, including the Pulitzer Prize. more

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“My theory for nonfiction is that nobody can be free of some kind of conceptions about whatever story they're writing. But if you can find a way to build those into the story, then the story becomes a process of deconstructing and heightening and sometimes changing those notions and that makes dramatic tension. The initial statement of your position, and then letting reality act on you to change it, is pretty good storytelling.”

IfsWayWritingKindSometimesStoriesRealityProcessPositionTheoryNotionStatementsStorytellingDramaticTensionConceptionNonfictionInitialsGood Storytelling
Author:George Saunders
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“All I really know in nonfiction is that when I come home, I've got all these notes and I'm trying to figure out what actually happened to me. I usually kind of know what happened, but as you work through the notes, you find that certain scenes write well and some don't even though they should. Those make a constellation of meaning that weirdly ends up telling you what you just went through. It's a slightly different process, but still there's mystery because when you're bearing down on the scenes, sometimes you find out they mean something different than what you thought.”

KnowsShouldWritingTryingWellsKindMeanStillsDifferentEndsSometimesHomeCertainProcessHappenedMysteryFiguresSceneNotesComing HomeNonfictionConstellations
Author:George Saunders
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“With fiction, and also with nonfiction that you can take your time doing, you have a much better chance of reaching across the divide and connecting with somebody who is opposed to you on some things. They're opposed to you on one axis, which is politics, but if you go over the axis called puppies, you might find some common ground.”

IfsMightChanceCommonFictionReachingDividesNonfictionConnectingPuppyDoing YouCommon GroundAxesTake Your Time
Author:George Saunders
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“I don't know how you feel, but I feel like writing, clarity of thought, and truth have been validated because we see what happens when we get lax in those areas. I'm excited by the idea that writers like us can actually reach out and try to understand and prod and agitate the people who are in support of Trump because we have the tools to do it. We're language people and we're idea people.”

PeopleKnowsFeelsWritingTryingHas BeensIdeasHappensLanguageSupportKnow HowTrumpAreasToolsExcitedClarityReach OutHow You FeelAgitateLaxClarity Of Thought
Author:George Saunders
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