Beautiful Quote by George Saunders
“I don't tend to work directly from life, except in trying to mimic or match the outlines of its insanity. In other words, when I live through something, I just try to say to myself, "OK, remember this - life is really this crazy or scary or beautiful or surprising - so try to 'get at' that in your stories.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The New Yorker, 2012
Observe life’s chaos and translate its emotional truth into fiction.
In simple terms: Capture life’s wildness in stories.
Key Takeaway
Write from lived experience.
Themes
observation
truth
fiction
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
philosophical
advice
When to use this quote
- short stories
- novels
- teaching writing
Key Concepts
Emotional honesty
creative synthesis
Questions to Reflect On
- What emotions do you prioritize?
- How to balance truth and imagination?
A Different Perspective
Risk of over‑personalizing narrative.
![“Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three [great teachers] did not tell - they catalyzed a burning desire to know. Under their influence, the horizons sprung wide and fear went away and the unknown became knowable. But most important of…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/84c/john-steinbeck-71_art_teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-t_1738.jpg)
