--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I learned to be a regional writer by…" description: "\"I learned to be a regional writer by reading people like Flannery O'Connor. She was a huge influence.\" — David Almond" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/david-almond-9241_huge_i-learned-to-be-a-regional-writer-by-rea_2316086.jpg" --- # I learned to be a regional writer by reading people like… ![“I learned to be a regional writer by reading people like Flannery O'Connor. She was a huge influence.” quote by David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/david-almond-9241_huge_i-learned-to-be-a-regional-writer-by-rea_2316086.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/david-almond-9241_huge_i-learned-to-be-a-regional-writer-by-rea_2316086.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/david-almond-9241_huge_i-learned-to-be-a-regional-writer-by-rea_2316086.jpg) > “I learned to be a regional writer by reading people like Flannery O'Connor. She was a huge influence.” [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Studying a writer’s style and themes deepens one’s own craft and perspective. **In simple terms:** Reading great authors improves writing. Key Takeaway Read and emulate masters. Themes literary influence craft development reading Mood inspired curious motivated Type advice educational When to use this quote - writing workshops - personal essays - teaching - publishing Key Concepts style analysis creative inspiration Questions to Reflect On - Which author’s technique resonates most with you? - How can you blend influences into a unique voice? A Different Perspective Imitation may limit originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Flannery O'connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flannery-oconnor/) [Huge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/huge/) [Huge influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/huge-influence/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned/) [Learned Regional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-regional-5519589/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Like Flannery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-flannery-5519590/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Regional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regional/) [Regional Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regional-writer-3511781/) [She](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/she/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writer Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-reading-548346/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Flannery had loved Anne truly. And truthfully. She had seen Anne clearly, not covered with the reflective glitter a person acquires if you view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-brownrigg/flannery-had-loved-anne-truly-and-truthfully-she-had-seen-anne/) [Sylvia Brownrigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-brownrigg/) > [Maybe I'm a serial regional writer. First here, then there, across the map.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/maybe-i-m-a-serial-regional-writer-first-here-then-there-across-the/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [I am happy to be a regional writer. My region is the American West, old Mexico, West Virginia, New York, Europe, Australia, the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/i-am-happy-to-be-a-regional-writer-my-region-is-the-american-west-old/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [It's also true, however, that having conquered the regional writer ghetto, I am now intent on conquering the nationalist writer ghetto and moving out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-moody/it-s-also-true-however-that-having-conquered-the-regional-writer/) [Rick Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-moody/) > [“The scene is a writer's study, shabby, drafty but tax-deductible. The writer is reading the last hundred pages of his work in progress. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-stone/the-scene-is-a-writer-s-study-shabby-drafty-but-tax-deductible-the/) [Robert Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-stone/) > [There isn't any distinction between a reader and a writer - reading is so much a part of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dermot-healy/there-isn-t-any-distinction-between-a-reader-and-a-writer-reading-is/) [Dermot Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dermot-healy/) > [“Ir you're a writer, reading is part of your job description. ~ Mark Rubinstein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rubinstein/ir-you-re-a-writer-reading-is-part-of-your-job-description-mark/) [Mark Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rubinstein/) > [From a really young age, I was reading like a writer. I was reading for the deep understanding of the literature; not simply to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/from-a-really-young-age-i-was-reading-like-a-writer-i-was-reading-for/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) > [“I don't see the use of reading the same thing over and over again,' said Phillip. 'That's only a laborious form of idleness.' But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-don-t-see-the-use-of-reading-the-same-thing-over-and-over-again/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“For most writers, reading is also a very intense experience; they don’t read so much as compete. The writer measure’s himself against every text…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/for-most-writers-reading-is-also-a-very-intense-experience-they-don-t/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [“If you're a writer, reading is part of your job description.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rubinstein/if-you-re-a-writer-reading-is-part-of-your-job-description/) [Mark Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rubinstein/) > [“Wherever it left us, we were barely learning to live with it when here came Flannery O'Connor and Hank Williams to tell us that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miller-williams/wherever-it-left-us-we-were-barely-learning-to-live-with-it-when-here/) [Miller Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miller-williams/) > [I like big doses of grief when I read: Richard Yates, Flannery O'Connor, Kenzabaro Oe, Thomas Bernhard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-marcus/i-like-big-doses-of-grief-when-i-read-richard-yates-flannery-o-connor/) [Ben Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-marcus/) > [“The phrase "the violent bear it away" fascinated the 20th century Irish-American storyteller Flannery O'Connor, who used it as the title of one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-cahill/the-phrase-the-violent-bear-it-away-fascinated-the-20th-century-irish/) [Thomas Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-cahill/) > [I've always been drawn to dark stories. I enjoy reading Flannery O'Connor, Patricia Highsmith, and Margaret Mitchell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/i-ve-always-been-drawn-to-dark-stories-i-enjoy-reading-flannery-o/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) ## More by David Almond > [“Well, well,” she murmurs as I back away. She makes a rectangle with her index fingers and thumbs and looks at my skin through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/well-well-she-murmurs-as-i-back-away-she-makes-a-rectangle-with-her/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“I do think there is evil. But it is very rare. It is as rare as true goodness. And just as true goodness produces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/i-do-think-there-is-evil-but-it-is-very-rare-it-is-as-rare-as-true/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“Sometimes we think we should be able to know everything. But we can’t. We have to allow ourselves to see what there is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/sometimes-we-think-we-should-be-able-to-know-everything-but-we-can-t/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“A school for the writing of nonsense and the pursuit of extraordinary activities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/a-school-for-the-writing-of-nonsense-and-the-pursuit-of-extraordinary/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“She points at my chest. “And much more interestingly, what’s that?” “Blood,” I say. She gets her camera out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/she-points-at-my-chest-and-much-more-interestingly-what-s-that-blood/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [And what is wrong with playing with words? Words love to be played with, just like children or kittens do!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/and-what-is-wrong-with-playing-with-words-words-love-to-be-played/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [The best tip for writing is just to write; to sit down and write, to begin doing it and not to be scared by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/the-best-tip-for-writing-is-just-to-write-to-sit-down-and-write-to/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [They say that shoulder blades are where your wings were, when you were an angel," she said. "They say they're where your wings will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/they-say-that-shoulder-blades-are-where-your-wings-were-when-you-were/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“I love afternoons like that, like when we talk about things like metempsychosis, when we learn so much, and explore so much, and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/i-love-afternoons-like-that-like-when-we-talk-about-things-like/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [I don't want to be little again. But at the same time I do. I want to be me like I was then, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/i-don-t-want-to-be-little-again-but-at-the-same-time-i-do-i-want-to/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“more 27 and 53,'i said. 'Food of the gods,' he said”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/more-27-and-53-i-said-food-of-the-gods-he-said/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“I have hair that drifts like seaweed when I swim. I have eyes that shine like rock pools. My ears are like scallop shells.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/i-have-hair-that-drifts-like-seaweed-when-i-swim-i-have-eyes-that/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [Anything seems possible at night when the rest of the world has gone to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/anything-seems-possible-at-night-when-the-rest-of-the-world-has-gone/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“We thought a little longer, and in the end we simply called her Joy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/we-thought-a-little-longer-and-in-the-end-we-simply-called-her-joy/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“I said, 'Do you know what shoulder blades are for?' She giggled. 'Do you not even know that?' she said. 'Do you?' 'It's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/i-said-do-you-know-what-shoulder-blades-are-for-she-giggled-do-you/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) [Explore all 74 David Almond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) ## More Huge quotes > [I don't own designer clothes, or a sports car, or a huge house, but I am seeing the world, experiencing amazing things, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roz-savage/i-don-t-own-designer-clothes-or-a-sports-car-or-a-huge-house-but-i-am/) [Roz Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roz-savage/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [The Dutch look like a huge jar of marmalade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-davies/the-dutch-look-like-a-huge-jar-of-marmalade/) [Barry Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-davies/) > [“A man. Big. Huge. Massive. And fucking gorgeous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasinda-wilder/a-man-big-huge-massive-and-fucking-gorgeous/) [Jasinda Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasinda-wilder/) > [...it was a huge creature, luminous, ghastly, and spectral. I have cross-examined these men, one of them a hard-headed countryman, one a farrier, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/it-was-a-huge-creature-luminous-ghastly-and-spectral-i-have-cross/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [I'm a huge fan of the Chainsmokers - like, huge. Like, I would love to collaborate with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsea-ballerini/i-m-a-huge-fan-of-the-chainsmokers-like-huge-like-i-would-love-to/) [Kelsea Ballerini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsea-ballerini/) > [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/) [Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/) > [In a couple of decades you have half of the wells that are drilled right now, and you're talking about numbers in the millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/in-a-couple-of-decades-you-have-half-of-the-wells-that-are-drilled/) [Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/) > [My office in New York is overflowing with all kinds of cookbooks, and in New Orleans we have a huge culinary library. So yeah,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emeril-lagasse/my-office-in-new-york-is-overflowing-with-all-kinds-of-cookbooks-and/) [Emeril Lagasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emeril-lagasse/) > [Most startups are not just built for the person who is using them. When you do that, every now and then you get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-shear/most-startups-are-not-just-built-for-the-person-who-is-using-them/) [Emmett Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-shear/) > [This is my life - I want to tell stories. There is something huge inside me that pushes me to tell stories, and tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-argento/this-is-my-life-i-want-to-tell-stories-there-is-something-huge-inside/) [Dario Argento](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-argento/) > [Fashion is a huge part of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sean/fashion-is-a-huge-part-of-my-life/) [Jay Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sean/) > [For me to even be talking about bikini confidence is crazy. If you had asked me a couple of months ago, I probably would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordin-sparks/for-me-to-even-be-talking-about-bikini-confidence-is-crazy-if-you-had/) [Jordin Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordin-sparks/) > [I was a huge fan of Steve Martin, as everyone I knew in comedy was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-short/i-was-a-huge-fan-of-steve-martin-as-everyone-i-knew-in-comedy-was/) [Martin Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-short/) > [I've developed a huge regard for Toyota for its environmental awareness, for its immense commitment to research and development in this field, and for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/i-ve-developed-a-huge-regard-for-toyota-for-its-environmental/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) [Browse all 5,414 Huge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/huge/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I learned to be a regional writer by reading people like Flannery O'Connor. 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