Anne Tyler Quotes

110 quotes in 1313 categories

• I don't type [when I write] because . . . I often have the feeling that everything flows directly from my right hand.
• Once your mind is caught on the right snag, there's nothing so hard about the mechanics of writing.
• Time, in general, has always been a central obsession of mine - what it does to people, how it can constitute a plot all on…
• None of my own experiences ever finds its way into my work. However, the stages of my life - motherhood, middle age, etc. - often…
• It's true that writing is a solitary occupation, but you would be surprised at how much companionship a group of imaginary characters can offer once…
• I didn't really choose to write; I more or less fell into it.
• I can never tell ahead of time which book will give me trouble - some balk every step of the way, others seem to write…
• I do write long, long character notes - family background, history, details of appearance - much more than will ever appear in the novel. I…
• But what I hope for from a book - either one that I write or one that I read - is transparency. I want the…
• And I am interested in the fact that class is very much a factor in America, even though it's not supposed to be.
• I consciously try to end my novels at a point where I won't have to wonder about my characters ever again.
• I don't want to say I hear voices; well, actually I do hear voices, but I don't think it's supernatural. I think it's just that…
• I spend about a year between novels
• It seems to me that good novels celebrate the mystery in ordinary life, and summing it all up in psychological terms strips the mystery away
• I'll write maybe one long paragraph describing the events, then a page or two breaking the events into chapters, and then reams of pages delving…
• When I read, I'm purely a reader
• My stories are never quite good enough
• I forget a book as soon as I finish writing it, which is not always a good thing
• I was standing in the schoolyard waiting for a child when another mother came up to me. Have you found work yet? she asked. Or…
• In real life I avoid all parties altogether, but on paper I can mingle with the best of them

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