“I love the novel of 'The English Patient'; I think it's a profoundly beautiful novel. I love the movie of 'The English Patient'; I think it's a profoundly beautiful movie. And they're totally different. You accept each on its own terms, and that's kind of the ideal.” ThinkingKindDifferentBeautifulTermAcceptingNovelIdealsPatient Author:Ayelet Waldman
“First drafts are for learning what your novel or story is about. Revision is working with that knowledge to enlarge and enhance an idea, to re-form it.... The first draft of a book is the most uncertain-where you need guts, the ability to accept the imperfect until it is better.” NeedsFirstsBookIdeasStoriesFormAbilityAcceptingNovelGutsImperfectUncertainRevision Book:Conversations with Bernard Malamud Source: Conversations with Bernard Malamud
“Since my first novel was rescued from a slush pile, it makes me sad that most publishing houses no longer accept unsolicited manuscripts. Nor are many willing to take chances on novels that are not deemed immediately "marketable."” FirstsHouseChanceAcceptingNovelWillingPublishingTake A ChanceManuscriptsPublishing HouseSlush Author:Katherine Paterson
“I always tell people, if a young girl read "Beloved" as her first novel, she'd have to kill either herself or her mother, because in "Beloved" you have a mother killing their children. This is not something a child would accept very easily. And would never understand.” PeopleIfsFirstsChildrenYoungMotherGirlAcceptingNovelKillingBeloved Author:Walter Mosley
“Many people have compared me to the Victorian adventure writer, Rider Haggard. I accept that as a compliment. As a boy growing up in Central Africa I read all Haggard's African novels.” PeopleAcceptingBoysNovelGrowing UpGrowingAdventureComplimentRidersVictorianHaggard Author:Walter Smith