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Quote by Chinua Achebe

“Whenever I try to do anything on a typewriter, it's like having this machine between me and the words; what comes out is not quite what would come out if I were scribbling.”

Quote by Chinua Achebe

Author

Nigerian novelist, poet, literary critic, widely regarded as one of the greatest African writers of the 20th century. Chinua Achebe is known for his profound insights into colonialism and African culture, with works such as 'Things Fall Apart' and 'Arrow of God'. more

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“I don't like to see mistakes on the typewriter. I like a perfect script. On the typewriter I will sometimes leave a phrase that is not right, not what I want, simply because to change it would be a bit messy.”

Want Sometimes Would Be Bits Perfect Mistake Scripts Phrases Messy Typewriters

Author:Chinua Achebe

“If you ask me, Now, is it your best book? I would say, I don't really know. I wouldn't even want to say. And I'd even go on and say, I don't even think so.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Want Book Asks Goes On Ask Me

Author:Chinua Achebe

“If you're rooted to a spot, you miss a lot of the grace. So you keep moving, and this is the way I think the world's stories should be told - from many different perspectives.”

Ifs Thinking World Way Should Different Stories Moving Grace Missing Perspective Spots Rooted Keep Moving Different Perspective

Author:Chinua Achebe

“It has always been quite apparent to me that no important story can fail to tell us something of value to us.”

Important Stories Values Failing

Author:Chinua Achebe

“I know that an important message is not a novel. To say that we should all be kind to our neighbors is an important statement; it's not a novel.”

Knows Should Kind Important Novel Messages Neighbor Statements Be Kind

Author:Chinua Achebe

“There is something about important stories that is not just the message, but also the way that message is conveyed, the arrangement of the words, the felicity of the language. So it's really a balance between your commitment, whether it's political or economic or whatever, and your craft as an artist.”

Way Important Stories Political Artist Language Economic Balance Messages Commitment Crafts Arrangements Felicity

Author:Chinua Achebe

“We live in a society that is in transition from oral to written. There are oral stories that are still there, not exactly in their full magnificence, but still strong in their differentness from written stories. Each mode has its ways and methods and rules. They can reinforce each other; this is the advantage my generation has - we can bring to the written story something of that energy of the story told by word of mouth.”

Way Stills Stories Energy Strong Written Generations Mouths Advantage Method Transition My Generation Magnificence Word Of Mouth

Author:Chinua Achebe

“Unless I'm writing in the Igbo language, I use a language developed elsewhere, which is English. That affects the way I write. It even affects to some extent the stories I write.”

Way Writing Stories Use Language Elsewhere

Author:Chinua Achebe

“When I'm writing, I really want to satisfy myself. I've got a story that I am working on and struggling with, and I want to tell it the most effective way I can. That's really what I struggle with. And the thought of who may be reading it may be there somewhere in the back of my mind - I'll never say it's not there because I don't know - but it's not really what I'm thinking about.”

Thinking Knows Way Want Writing Mind May I Can Stories Reading Struggle Of My Mind

Author:Chinua Achebe

“Actually, I identify with all my characters, good and bad. I have to do that in order to make them genuine. I have to understand them even if I don't approve of them. Not completely - it's impossible; complete identification is, in fact, not desirable.”

Ifs Character Facts Order Impossible Genuine Desirable Good And Bad Identification

Author:Chinua Achebe