“If you can stand to wait 24 hours before you decide the fate of what you have written - either good or bad - you're more likely to see that invisible thing that is invisible for the first few days in any new writing. We just can't know what all is in a sentence until there are several sentences to follow it. Pages of writing need more pages in order to be known, chapters need more chapters.” IfsKnowsNeedsWritingFirstsOrderWaitingHoursKnownFateWrittenPagesSentencesInvisibleChaptersInvisible Things Author:Lynda Barry
“All we need to do, reader or writer, from first line to final page, is be as open as a book, and be alive to the life in language - on all its levels.” NeedsFirstsBookLanguageLinesLevelsAliveReaderPagesFinals Author:Ali Smith
“On the Native American front, we have turned a new page in the 400-year history of the interface between the American settlers of this country and the nation's first Americans. That's included a new relationship where the sovereignty of tribes is in fact recognized.” YearsFirstsCountryFactsNationsFrontsPagesNativeNative AmericanTribesSovereigntyInterfacesSettlersNew Relationship Author:Ken Salazar
“It can take years. With the first draft, I just write everything. With the second draft, it becomes so depressing for me, because I realize that I was fooled into thinking I'd written the story. I hadn't-I had just typed for a long time. So then I have to carve out a story from the 25 or so pages. It's in there somewhere-but I have to find it. I'll then write a third, fourth, and fifth draft, and so on.” ThinkingWritingYearsFirstsLongStoriesRealizingWrittenPagesLong TimeThirdsFourthDepressingFifthFooled Author:David Sedaris
“Once I know what the first page is, then the rest will come.” KnowsFirstsPages Author:William Bolcom
“When a novel has 200,000 words, then it is possible for the reader to experience 200,000 delights, and to turn back to the first page of the book and experience them all over again, perhaps more intensely.” FirstsBookTurnsNovelReaderPagesDelight Author:Jane Smiley
“I worked at my high school newspaper at Andover, which came out weekly, unusual for a high school paper. Then my first day at Penn I went right to the 'Daily Pennsylvanian' and pretty much spent most of my college career working both as the sports editor and then editor of the editorial page.” FirstsSchoolSportsCareersCollegePaperPagesHigh SchoolNewspapersEditorsUnusualEditorials Author:Buzz Bissinger
“Writing is so hard.... The first draft writing is so hard that sometimes in the beginning, before the work itself takes over, carrying you on its flood, you must give yourself rewards. "When I write this chapter, I can call my boyfriend." "When I finish one page more, I can get an ice cream cone." "If I write this section, I'll find a check in the mail."” IfsGivingWritingFirstsI CanSometimesHardPagesRewardsChecksIceMailChaptersFloodCreamSectionsIce CreamMy BoyfriendConesIce Cream Cones Author:Sophy Burnham
“I think of a child's mind as a blank book. During the first years of his life, much will be written on the pages. The quality of that writing will affect his life profoundly.” ThinkingWritingYearsMindFirstsChildrenBookQualityWrittenPagesBlank Author:Walt Disney
“If I had the power to influence Indian journals, I would have the following headlines printed in bold letters on the first page: Milk for the infants , Food for the adults and Education for all” IfsFirstsInfluencePagesAdultsLettersFollowingIndianMilkJournalInfantPrintedHeadlinesEducation For All Author:Lala Lajpat Rai
“When I'm writing for a book, it's much more reflective process. I have certain things that may not translate well to the stage, but, when they're on the page, people can really get into them. My first two books were aiming to be funnier, but the third was more about deep exploration. Things about being a parent and growing older that I thought would be perfect for a book.” PeopleWritingFirstsWellsMayTwoBookWould BeCertainProcessParentPerfectGrowingStagePagesThirdsExplorationTranslateGrowing OldBeing A ParentGrowing Older Author:Paul Reiser