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Quote by Donald E. Westlake

“In a funny way, the stories keep themselves alive by emerging from one another. I like that.”

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Donald E. Westlake was an American author born on July 12, 1933, and passed away on December 31, 2008. Known for his crime and detective novels, his works have been widely appreciated by readers. more

“I've had stuff of mine adapted by other people, so I've come to the conclusion that a movie is a different form from a novel and there is no such thing as a true adaptation. You have to adapt to this other thing and do it right. But that voice of the original should somehow still be there, and the original intent should still be there. So if the original writer saw the movie, the writer would say, "Well, that's not what I wrote, but that's what I meant." And if you can do that, I think you've done your job as a screenwriter.”

People Thinking Different Done Novel Conclusion Adaptation

Author:Donald E. Westlake

“Writing is flat, so if you only have part of one eye working, you still can do the job. It's just that you sit there and you're angry, which doesn't help.”

Writing Helping Eye

Author:Donald E. Westlake

“I can't trace thematic similarities between Then We Came To The End and The Unnamed to a life event; I think it's more just a natural progression as a writer. Everything changes in the second book - tonally, character-wise, situationally - and on top of that, I think I wanted a challenge. I wanted to see if I could do it.”

Thinking Book Natural Challenges Things Change Progression Similarity

Author:Joshua Ferris

“I'm not sure that all books aren't that way. I think that might apply to any book I was writing. The book was kind of the product of this enormous infatuation I had, not only with the office and office politics, but with perspective, and trying to tell a story from as wide a range of perspectives as you possibly can. I tried to capture it all with the first-person plural, but once I settled on that, I used it to tell the story from as many angles as I could. I guess, to put it romantically, it was about a love affair with the craft of perspective.”

Thinking Writing Trying Kind Book Perspective Office Affair Not Sure Infatuation Love Affair

Author:Joshua Ferris

“Once I had the voice, I knew I wasn't going to fall off the bicycle. I tap right back into it. It really was like learning how to ride a bike - you never forget, and I was able to carry it along with some ease. I never encountered any stumping problems that left me not knowing what to do, so I was mostly able to hold my ground. Of course, I should mention that it took me a long time to actually acquire the voice; there were a lot of frustrated attempts along the way, revisions to long sections and versions of the book that I abandoned.”

Long Book Problem Fall Forget Never Forget Abandoned Frustrated Bicycle

Author:Joshua Ferris

“I always knew from the beginning that this was the only way to write Then We Came To The End - that it had to be in first - person plural if it was going to illustrate how the individual becomes part of the collective. I had no interest in writing the book in a more conventional voice. It goes back to that fascination I had with telling a story in multiple ways. It was the only choice I gave myself, really - I said "This is it, pal. If you can't tell a story this way, you're going to have to abandon the book. Write it this way or give up."”

Giving Writing Book Choices Individual Interest Giving Up Abandon Multiple

Author:Joshua Ferris

“Sometimes you have to make decisions that necessarily exclude the collective. It's more difficult to be a friend - even though they know each other and they treat each other like friends, it's more of a challenge for them. It's just institutional fact; the two characters that are the most aloof are the ones who have the most responsibility.”

Sometimes Character Difficult Challenges Decision Responsibility Aloof

Author:Joshua Ferris

“If someone were plucked from the group and given those responsibilities, they might find themselves growing more aloof, just by virtue of that promotion. Suddenly the group culture excludes you. I saw this in my own working life, and I don't think it's a coincidence - I sensed a kind of loneliness in middle managers especially.”

Thinking Kind Culture Responsibility Virtue Loneliness Coincidence Promotion Aloof

Author:Joshua Ferris

“The people at the very top could fall by and grace you with their presence and give you a little largesse, and you'd be "Oh, I'm so beloved." In a way, it was kind of like flattery. The middle managers didn't quite have that cachet, but at the same time, they had to seem like they were of that caliber. So there's a little bit of loneliness at the heart of those with a little bit of power.”

People Giving Heart Kind Fall Grace Loneliness Beloved Flattery

Author:Joshua Ferris

“I think one of the ways you avoid being angry is to avoid being angry at the people in power. They might do crappy things, and piss you off, and make bad decisions, but they shouldn't be hated simply because they're in power. And I thought it was important to humanize them if the book was going to be even-handed to all the different ways you encounter people at work.”

People Thinking Important Book Different Decision Hated Bad Decision

Author:Joshua Ferris

Quote by Donald E. Westlake

Author

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