Children Quote by David Malouf
““In time, most children stop being puzzled in this way. They settle in. The world around them, as it becomes familiar and daily, becomes ordinary. But for writers, like children who have never quite grown up, life retains a quality of strangeness; it remains a matter of questions for which there are no satisfactory answers, of hidden motives, displaced explanations, subtle concealments and mysteries. Eavesdropping of one kind or another, keeping an eye open and an ear cocked, even in public places, for the giveaway facial expression or gesture, the revealing word, becomes a settled habit for the writer, a necessary part of his professional equipment: the laying down of small scraps of information, of observation or experience, for future use.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Interview in The New Yorker, 1995
Writers must stay curious, observing details others overlook, turning everyday moments into material for future work.
In simple terms: Writers keep a childlike curiosity, collecting observations for later use.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate constant observation and note‑taking.
Themes
creativity
observation
writing
curiosity
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
inspirational
practical
When to use this quote
- journalism
- fiction writing
- character development
- research
- scene building
Key Concepts
literary craft
psychology
detail gathering
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you decide which observations merit keeping?
- What habits help you sift useful details?
A Different Perspective
May become overwhelming to record everything, risking analysis paralysis.
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