“I grew up in a community where it was not the exception to be a good girl. It was sort of expected. And all of my friends were good girls too, and my boyfriends were good boys. Everybody was pretty nice. And that affects how I write my characters. There aren't very many bad guys in my novels.” WritingCharacterGuyGirlCommunityBoysNovelNiceGrewGrew UpMy FriendsExpectedExceptionBad GuysMy BoyfriendGood GirlGood Boy Author:Stephenie Meyer
“I grew up reading the classic novels of Cold War espionage, and I studied Russian history and Soviet foreign policy.” WarReadingNovelPolicyGrewColdGrew UpClassicSovietForeign PolicyCold WarEspionageRussian History Author:Daniel Silva
“The Lake of Dreams grew gradually, over many years, elements and ideas accruing until they gained enough critical mass to become a novel.” YearsIdeasEnoughDreamNovelGrewElementsMassCriticalLakesCritical Mass Author:Kim Edwards
“I grew up on genre - on Westerns, spy thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy novels, horror novels. Especially horror novels.” FantasyNovelGrewHorrorGrew UpGenreSci FiSpyThrillersFantasy Novels Author:Benjamin Percy
“I think poets are supposed to be writing for television and film. I grew up in the day of early TV that was so raw and funny, and I think we're in the next important moment of television, where it's really telling the epic of the culture like Charles Dickens was doing in the 19th century with his serialized novels.” ThinkingWritingImportantMomentsFilmCultureNextNovelCenturyTelevisionPoetTvsGrewGrew UpSupposed To BeEpic19th CenturyDickensImportant Moments Author:Eileen Myles
“A novel can educate to some extent, but first a novel has to entertain. That's the contract with the reader: you give me ten hours and I'll give you a reason to turn every page. I have a commitment to accessibility. I believe in plot. I want an English professor to understand the symbolism while at the same time I want the people I grew up with - who may not often read anything but the Sears catalog - to read my books.” PeopleWantGivingFirstsBelieveMayBookReasonTurnsI BelieveHoursNovelGrewReaderTenGrew UpPagesCommitmentGive MeI Believe InPlotContractsProfessorsEducateSymbolismAccessibilitySears Author:Barbara Kingsolver
“The short story that eventually grew into Constellation was the first fiction set in Russia that I'd ever written, and that was right around the time I was giving up on a doomed, never-to-be-seen first novel. While I saw it could be something bigger, in hindsight fortuitous timing was as responsible as anything.” GivingFirstsStoriesFictionNovelSawsWrittenGrewGiving UpBiggerResponsibleRussiaShort StoryTimingDoomedConstellationsHindsightFortuitous Author:Anthony Marra
“I grew up in Southern California, so the whole concept of a local music history is still kinda novel to me.” StillsWholeNovelGrewGrew UpConceptsLocalsCaliforniaSouthernSouthern California Author:John Darnielle