--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My first two books, I was very close to…" description: "\"My first two books, I was very close to my main character, stuck inside their head. And then with 'Arrogance,' I broke into many different voices. I in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/986/joanna-scott-21641_arrogance_my-first-two-books-i-was-very-close-to-m_1363716.jpg" --- # My first two books, I was very close to my main character… ![“My first two books, I was very close to my main character, stuck inside their head. And then with 'Arrogance,' I broke into many different voices. I introduce many different characters, and that helped me to develop a confidence to move between different characters, between different voices.” quote by Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/986/joanna-scott-21641_arrogance_my-first-two-books-i-was-very-close-to-m_1363716.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/986/joanna-scott-21641_arrogance_my-first-two-books-i-was-very-close-to-m_1363716.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/986/joanna-scott-21641_arrogance_my-first-two-books-i-was-very-close-to-m_1363716.jpg) > “My first two books, I was very close to my main character, stuck inside their head. And then with 'Arrogance,' I broke into many different voices. I introduce many different characters, and that helped me to develop a confidence to move between different characters, between different voices.” [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Exploring multiple narrative voices builds confidence and flexibility in storytelling. **In simple terms:** Multiple voices boost confidence. Key Takeaway Practice writing from varied perspectives. Themes creativity confidence voice character development Mood inspired reflective Type creative inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - novel drafting - character workshops - creative exercises Key Concepts narrative technique psychology of writing Questions to Reflect On - How can varied voices be balanced? - When does voice multiplicity hinder clarity? A Different Perspective Overreliance on many voices can dilute narrative focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arrogance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Different characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-characters/) [Different voices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-voices/) [Main character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/main-character/) ## Related quotes > [When I was in high school, I tried too hard to be cool and to impress people, but playing all these different characters has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-hedges/when-i-was-in-high-school-i-tried-too-hard-to-be-cool-and-to-impress/) [Lucas Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-hedges/) > [I'm actually reading 'World War Z' again! It's incredibly realistic and it's written as an oral history through interviews with different characters. Max Brooks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/i-m-actually-reading-world-war-z-again-it-s-incredibly-realistic-and/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [I would love to play a main character and then play different characters as well. I would want for it to be a sitcom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandy-norwood/i-would-love-to-play-a-main-character-and-then-play-different/) [Brandy Norwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandy-norwood/) > [Freedom and confidence are two different things, in my book. Confidence is overrated - it can be faked, whereas freedom is fearlessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/freedom-and-confidence-are-two-different-things-in-my-book-confidence/) [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) > [“Ultimately, I think the #1 thing that draws me to someone is their sense of freedom. Freedom and confidence are two different things, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/ultimately-i-think-the-1-thing-that-draws-me-to-someone-is-their/) [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) > [Where do I get the confidence to be different? A lot of it comes from curiosity. I spent years as a young man trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-grazer/where-do-i-get-the-confidence-to-be-different-a-lot-of-it-comes-from/) [Brian Grazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-grazer/) > [Guys that get that second year under their belt, get the first year under your belt, you come back with a different swag and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-angelo-russell/guys-that-get-that-second-year-under-their-belt-get-the-first-year/) [D'Angelo Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-angelo-russell/) > [Different managers give confidence in different ways. Some by hugging, others by talking or having conversations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrikh-mkhitaryan/different-managers-give-confidence-in-different-ways-some-by-hugging/) [Henrikh Mkhitaryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrikh-mkhitaryan/) > [You have to realize that people are always going to be confused or sometimes threatened by someone who has the confidence to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franchesca-ramsey/you-have-to-realize-that-people-are-always-going-to-be-confused-or/) [Franchesca Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franchesca-ramsey/) > [You are affected by the surroundings, the mood of people, by confidence. I am no different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/you-are-affected-by-the-surroundings-the-mood-of-people-by-confidence/) [Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/) > [It took me three albums to get the confidence and to find out what I could do that made me different from other people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gabriel/it-took-me-three-albums-to-get-the-confidence-and-to-find-out-what-i/) [Peter Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gabriel/) > [“I loved the different voices all singing one song, the various tones and qualities, the passing lifts of feeling, rising up and going out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/i-loved-the-different-voices-all-singing-one-song-the-various-tones/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [There was a lot of playing by myself, wearing last year's Halloween costume and wandering around the yard talking to myself - which may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jefferson-mays/there-was-a-lot-of-playing-by-myself-wearing-last-year-s-halloween/) [Jefferson Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jefferson-mays/) > [When many different voices send you in different directions, you can't listen to your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-stevenson/when-many-different-voices-send-you-in-different-directions-you-can-t/) [Ray Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-stevenson/) > [If I'm doing a voice-over session, like animation or something, and I'm doing three different voices, you've gotta separate them. You've gotta find the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-adlon/if-i-m-doing-a-voice-over-session-like-animation-or-something-and-i-m/) [Pamela Adlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-adlon/) ## More by Joanna Scott > [How wonderful it would be to scatter words as they rise to consciousness, to let them lie where they fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/how-wonderful-it-would-be-to-scatter-words-as-they-rise-to/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [Writing that flirts with incoherence can just as readily flounder as writing characterized by simplicity and composure. There is no reliable formula for originality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/writing-that-flirts-with-incoherence-can-just-as-readily-flounder-as/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [I don't think Donald Barthelme would have minded being called a confusing writer. Confusion was a favorite subject for him in his essays and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/i-don-t-think-donald-barthelme-would-have-minded-being-called-a/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [Vladimir Nabokov on 'Bleak House' or Henry James on 'The House of the Seven Gables' prove that reading can be an exciting subject in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/vladimir-nabokov-on-bleak-house-or-henry-james-on-the-house-of-the/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [With prurient absorption and only minimal risk, we can pretend to be the subject of the lead article on the front page of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/with-prurient-absorption-and-only-minimal-risk-we-can-pretend-to-be/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [The novelist in me is probably hiding behind all the stories I write, looking for ways to connect them and continue the conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/the-novelist-in-me-is-probably-hiding-behind-all-the-stories-i-write/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [Whether art is defined as a representation of or response to reality, it demands an intense engagement with things we haven't managed to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/whether-art-is-defined-as-a-representation-of-or-response-to-reality/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [The best liars lie with their eyes rather than with their words. This might put writers at a disadvantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/the-best-liars-lie-with-their-eyes-rather-than-with-their-words-this/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [Jim Longenbach, poet, critic, and my husband, is always passing along life-changing books for me to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/jim-longenbach-poet-critic-and-my-husband-is-always-passing-along/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [In the early 1980s, I spent a year working as an assistant at the Elaine Markson Literary Agency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/in-the-early-1980s-i-spent-a-year-working-as-an-assistant-at-the/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [Reviewers try to square the antics of a writer's life with the antics in the fiction. Even satirical verbal play is too often read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/reviewers-try-to-square-the-antics-of-a-writer-s-life-with-the-antics/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [When we really start searching for the truth in stories, we can find it everywhere, not just in sincere confessions but in the deliberate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/when-we-really-start-searching-for-the-truth-in-stories-we-can-find/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [There are plenty of writers, past and present, from Shakespeare to Henry James to Lydia Davis, who test the limits of coherence and put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/there-are-plenty-of-writers-past-and-present-from-shakespeare-to/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [The past is full of examples of renegade writers who were overlooked in their time not only because their work didn't fit neatly into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/the-past-is-full-of-examples-of-renegade-writers-who-were-overlooked/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [As entertainment, fiction may offer momentary relief from the stresses of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/as-entertainment-fiction-may-offer-momentary-relief-from-the-stresses/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) [Explore all 29 Joanna Scott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) ## More Arrogance quotes > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [wishes for sons by Lucille Clifton i wish them cramps. i wish them a strange town and the last tampon. I wish them no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-clifton/wishes-for-sons-by-lucille-clifton-i-wish-them-cramps-i-wish-them-a/) [Lucille Clifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-clifton/) > [The structure of the Swiss ruling class is rock-hard, and unchanged since the time of Napoleon. They sit on their mountains and lecture the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-ziegler/the-structure-of-the-swiss-ruling-class-is-rock-hard-and-unchanged/) [Jean Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-ziegler/) > [What you see of me on TV and all of that, that is me - that's truly how I feel. I'm just multiplying it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-corbin/what-you-see-of-me-on-tv-and-all-of-that-that-is-me-that-s-truly-how/) [Baron Corbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-corbin/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Never mistake someones quietness for their arrogance as you can surely miss out on an awsome personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-mistake-someones-quietness-for-their-arrogance-as-you-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/most-of-us-think-of-pride-as-self-centeredness-conceit-boastfulness/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [“I was consumed by a selfishness and arrogance that I didn't dare let go of until I found a new persona to hide behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/i-was-consumed-by-a-selfishness-and-arrogance-that-i-didn-t-dare-let/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [Arrogance is the outgrowth of prosperity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/arrogance-is-the-outgrowth-of-prosperity/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [Timing and arrogance are decisive factors in the successful use of talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-mannes/timing-and-arrogance-are-decisive-factors-in-the-successful-use-of/) [Marya Mannes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-mannes/) > [Some say work smarter, not harder, but the wisest are both. Whether you're more of a hard worker or a smart worker, if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-tatem/some-say-work-smarter-not-harder-but-the-wisest-are-both-whether-you/) [Colby Tatem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-tatem/) > [Closed some doors, not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they no longer lead somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenz-jeffrey/closed-some-doors-not-because-of-pride-incapacity-or-arrogance-but/) [Frenz Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frenz-jeffrey/) > [My success isn't a result of arrogance - it's a result of belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-mcgregor/my-success-isn-t-a-result-of-arrogance-it-s-a-result-of-belief/) [Conor McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-mcgregor/) > [“...a great man who is vicious will only be a great doer of evil, and a rich man who is not liberal will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cervantes/a-great-man-who-is-vicious-will-only-be-a-great-doer-of-evil-and-a/) Miguel Cervantes > [An increasing number of people are growing uncomfortable with the gulf between the world's rich and the poor. Ostentatiously splashing your money around simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalle-lasn/an-increasing-number-of-people-are-growing-uncomfortable-with-the/) [Kalle Lasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalle-lasn/) [Browse all 1,418 Arrogance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My first two books, I was very close to my main character, stuck inside their head. And then with 'Arrogance,' I broke into many different voices. 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