Best novel & voice Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings

“Character is character and voice is voice, which translates nicely from writing novels to writing TV. But the process is different. You have a writer's room, people pitch you jokes and you collaborate.”

People Writing Different Character Process Voice Rooms Novel Tvs Jokes Translate

Author:Jennifer Weiner

“It took me six novels before I felt confident of my voice as a writer.”

Felt Voice Novel Six

Author:Andrea Hirata

“The Brightwood Stillness is a novel I could not put down. On the surface, it is the lives of normal people in trying circumstances. Deeper, it is an uncannily perceptive exploration of male psychology… Pomeroy is a brave new voice capable of taking us beyond the clichés of war and its aftermath and into the secret heart of every man. This is simply the best novel I’ve read in a long time.”

People Men Trying Heart Long War Voice Secret Novel Psychology Circumstances Normal Capable Long Time Brave Males Deeper Surface Every Man Exploration Stillness Aftermath Best Novel

Author:Andrew X. Pham

“Modern novels have become part of the do-it-yourself business, and they come in a very small number of standard kits. (...) In this wilderness cries the voice of Patrick White, Australian extraordinary, who has quite other, more austere and indeed prophetic ambitions. (...) (H)is failures are certainly the equivalent, and perhaps the measure, of other men's success.”

Men Voice White Numbers Novel Modern Cry Ambition Standards Extraordinary Wilderness Australian Prophetic Do It Yourself Small Numbers Modern Novel

Author:David Pryce-Jones

“Well, when I was a young writer the people we read were Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Sartre, Camus, Celine, Malraux. And to begin with, I was a bit of a copycat writer and very derivative and tried to write a novel using their voices, really.... I keep it out of print.”

People Writing Wells Young Bits Voice Novel Print Derivatives Young Writers Copycats Celine

Author:Mordecai Richler

“Well, people have been wondering what's going to happen to the novel for two hundred years; its death has been announced many times. You know, I think the novel keeps redefining the world we live in. What you should look for in a novel is a window nobody else is looking out of, that nobody else can look through. What you look for is a voice. You pick up a novel by someone such as Faulkner or Hemingway and you just read three pages and you know who wrote it. And that's what one should demand of a novelist.”

People Thinking Knows World Should Years Wells Looks Has Beens Two Happens Three Voice Wonder Novel Demand Pages Picks Hundred Window Novelists Redefining

Author:Mordecai Richler

“I remember how surprised I was when my first novel was about to be published and I was informed that I could be sued for anything any one of my characters said. 'But I often don't agree with what they say,' I protested. The lawyer was not interested in the clear distinction I make between my own voice and the voices of my characters. Neither, I have found, are many of my readers.”

Firsts Said Character Remember Found Voice My Own Novel Clear Reader Agree Lawyer Distinction Not Interested

Book:Outlander: Short Stories and Essays

Source: Outlander: Short Stories and Essays

“At last an authentic voice from Saudi Arabia. Al-Mohaimeed has written a remarkable, rhythmic, genuine novel. Wolves of the Crescent Moon throbs with sensuality and moral courage, as if it didn't take place in a society that denies the tick of the heart.”

Ifs Heart Lasts Voice Moral Novel Written Moon Deny Genuine Sensuality Remarkable Als Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudis Tick Moral Courage Crescent Crescent Moon

Author:Hanan al-Shaykh

“In the summer of 2010, I was working on a version of "True Detective" that I was thinking might be my next novel, and it was told in these two first-person voices; Cohle and Hart's voices.”

Thinking Firsts Persons Two Might Next Voice Novel Summer Versions Detectives First Person Hart

Author:Nic Pizzolatto

“For me, the main inspiration to write a story or novel is the voice of its central character, or the narrative voice of the story itself.”

Writing Character Stories Inspiration Voice Novel Narrative Inspiration To Write Narrative Voice

Author:Scott Bradfield

“One of the things about writing a novel is you can do it any way you want. It's your voice that's important and I see absolutely no reason why a screenplay can't be the same. It makes it a hell of a lot easier when you're the writer and the director.”

Way Want Writing Important Reason Voice Can Do Novel Hell Easier Directors Reason Why No Reason You Can Do It Screenplays

Author:Quentin Tarantino

“My view of an excellent novel was probably set in the golden age of fiction in the 19th century: narrative, character and voice are of equal importance.”

Character Age Voice Views Fiction Novel Century Equal Importance Golden Narrative Excellent 19th Century Golden Age

Author:Joanna Trollope

“Gail Anderson-Dargatz has a noticing eye, a voice as unique as the countryside she writes about, and a heart large enough to love her entire cast of distinct and memorable characters. In The Cure for Death by Lightning she fashions an irresistible song out of the joys and dangers of growing up, the mysteries and wonders of life on a farm, the thrilling terror of trying to outrun the awful unseen force that pursues a growing girl. This novel opens a door to a shining, surprising world.”

“The Chicago Way is a wonderful first novel. Michael Harvey has studied the masters and put his own unique touch on the crime novel. This book harkens the arrival of a major new voice.”

Way Firsts Book Voice Novel Wonderful Crime Masters Majors Unique Chicago Arrivals Harvey Crime Novels

Author:Michael Connelly

“I've made the decision to adhere to three general truths when it comes to my novels: There will be a love-story element to the story, the novel will be set in eastern North Carolina, and the characters will be likeable. Then, I make each novel unique through differences in voice, perspective, age and personalities of the characters, and of course, plot.”

Made Character Stories Age Three Courses Voice Differences Decision Novel Perspective Personality Elements Unique Love Story Plot Eastern Carolina North Carolina Likeable

Author:Nicholas Sparks

“I have found that the characters in my novels stay with me after a book has ended. I know them in some sense. I never map anything out. I just think until I am secure in the voice of one of them, and then let the character unfold.”

Thinking Knows Book Character Found Voice Novel Secure Maps Stay With Me

Author:Marilynne Robinson

“I can't be reading novels when I'm writing a novel, because somebody's voice creeps in. The hardest thing to do is keep the tone and your attitude over the course of a year or however long it takes.But when I'm writing short stories, which I will be doing shortly, I can read anything I like.”

“I don't think comics necessarily think in literary terms. There is an element of developing your stage persona and your comedic voice, but I don't think comics see it like a character in a novel.”

Thinking Character Voice Term Novel Stage Elements Developing Persona Comedic Literary Terms

Author:Ted Alexandro

“I don't begin a novel until I have written, not just the last sentence, but usually, as a result thereof, many of the surrounding final paragraphs, so that in addition to knowing what happens, I know what the voice is.”

Knows Happens Lasts Voice Results Novel Knowing Written Finals Sentences Paragraph

Author:John Irving

“Girlchild . . . unfolds a compelling, layered narrative told by a protagonist with a voice so fresh, original, and funny you'll be in awe. This novel rocks . . . In Girlchild Tupelo Hassman has created a character you'll never forget. Rory Dawn Hendrix of the Calle has as precocious and endearing a voice as Holden Caulfield of Central Park. When you finish this novel, your sorrow at turning the last page will be eased by your excitement at what this sassy, talented author will do next.”

“The ability to get inside your character's head in a graphic novel is really fun and useful because one, you can really define the character's voice and two, it's a way easier way to convey what the character's thinking by actually laying out what he's thinking.”

Thinking Way Two Character Fun Voice Ability Novel Easier Graphic Graphic Novels

Author:Eric Kripke

“The idea to make hotel reviews the form of the novel came first. So I just started writing hotel reviews and tried to come up with a consistent voice.”

Writing Firsts Ideas Form Voice Novel Come Up Consistent Hotel Reviews

Author:Rick Moody

“When I have my students do erasures, I'm always amazed by the way their voice comes through, whether they're doing an erasure of a romance novel or an encyclopedia. Your sensibility will out.”

Way Romance Voice Novel Students Sensibility Amazed Romance Novel Encyclopedia

Author:Matthea Harvey

“I had to detach myself from myself, if that makes any sense, to conjure an authentic first-person voice. In that sense, it was similar to writing a first-person novel. But I was writing about real people, not fictional ones - myself, my family, my friends and boyfriends and ex-husband, and that was extremely tricky.”

People Ifs Writing Firsts Persons Real Voice Novel Husband My Friends My Family Exes Tricky First Person Ex Husband

Author:Kate Christensen

“Radio, or at least the kind of radio we're proposing to do, can cut through that. It can reach people who would otherwise never hear your work, and of course I find that very notion inspiring. Radio stories are powerful because the human voice is powerful. It has been and will continue to be the most basic element of storytelling. As a novelist (and I should note that working my novel is the first thing I do in the morning and the very last thing I do before I sleep), shifting into this new medium is entirely logical. It's still narrative, only with different tools.”

“It's actually not very hard to re-set between the adult novels and the ones for younger readers. The narrative voices are very similar, the smartass attitude, the environmental battles. Kids love books that are irreverent and challenge authority, when authority is arbitrary, greedy or foolish. They also love it when you make fun of grownups, and I've spent my whole life as a writer doing that.”

“If Shakespeare's great plays are variants of stories, even novels, you can see how each character is telling his story from his perspective; each is vying with the others for dominance, but in the end, in tragedy, most of these voices will die, to be replaced by the yet more vigorous voice of a younger generation.”

Ifs Ends Play Character Stories Dies Voice Novel Generations Perspective Tragedy Replaced Vigorous Dominance Younger Generation

Author:Joyce Carol Oates

“I co-edited an anthology called Interfictions with Delia Sherman and wrote a short scholarly book on three women poets called Voices from Fairyland: The Fantastical Poems of Mary Coleridge, Charlotte Mew, and Sylvia Townsend Warner. So I've been busy, but I haven't had time to write a novel.”

Writing Book Three Voice Novel Havens Poet Busy Mary Anthology Charlotte Edited Scholarly

Author:Theodora Goss

“In writing a novel, the writer must be able to identify emotionally and intellectually with two or three or four contradicting perspectives and give each of them very a convincing voice. It's like playing tennis with yourself and you have to be on both sides of the yard. You have to be on both sides, or all sides if there are more than two sides.”

Ifs Giving Writing Two Able Three Sides Voice Novel Four Perspective Tennis Yards Both Sides Convincing Two Sides Contradicting

Author:Amos Oz

Novel Quotes

Related topics

Novel Quotes