7th July 2016 | for Creatives | create for YOURSELF, writing, value the art, Julian Barnes |
"Writers should have the highest ambition; not just for themselves, but for the form they work in."
"There are plenty of places that are built on the business model of exploiting writers by not paying them. Are you going to let them do that to you?"
"I think a story, when properly told, finds its own natural length. If you try to extend it too much, it just stretches and begins to bore, and if you try to compress it too much, it just fractures. So you just hope that you can find the right rhythm. It's a musical thing. You feel it out, you cut back, you switch things around—until it feels entirely natural. A story should feel easy when of course it's far from easy." (artist)
"Don't censor yourself. Don't chase trends. Write whatever is in your heart. If it's honest, you will find an audience."
"What all writers need to be reminded of from time to time: that this thing we do, this thing we've devoted our lives to, is supposed to be fun."
"I think the most important lesson isn't necessarily to try and write a different book every time, or to try to brand yourself, [but] to write the kind of books you love to read. Because first of all, you're doing something you love. Second, you're working in your comfort zone, and third, even if this particular book doesn't work, it's going to be a lot more pleasant an experience."
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