Complaining Quote by Kate DiCamillo
![“I was over at Alison's [McGhee], I think we were playing Scrabble. I remember we were both complaining - yeah, we sound like whiners - about how hard writing is, and how we didn't have a story to work on. Alison said, 'Why don't we work on writing something together,' and I said, 'Eh, I don't know…” quote by Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a2d/kate-dicamillo-599_complaining_i-was-over-at-alison-s-mcghee-i-think-we_2864462.jpg)
“I was over at Alison's [McGhee], I think we were playing Scrabble. I remember we were both complaining - yeah, we sound like whiners - about how hard writing is, and how we didn't have a story to work on. Alison said, 'Why don't we work on writing something together,' and I said, 'Eh, I don't know if I could work that way.' She said, 'Well, just show up here and we'll see,' and I said, 'Well, what would it be about?' She said, 'Duh, it'd be about a tall girl and a short girl.' So I agreed to come and try it for a day.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Author Talk, 2015
Collaboration can spark creativity when individuals confront writer’s block, turning reluctance into shared storytelling.
In simple terms: Working together can overcome writing difficulties.
Key Takeaway
Embrace partnership to break creative stalls.
Themes
creativity
collaboration
writing process
Mood
inspirational
encouraging
Type
literary
creative
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- author meetups
- creative retreats
Key Concepts
storytelling
peer support
creative resistance
Questions to Reflect On
- What would you gain from a co‑author?
- How can you balance ideas?
A Different Perspective
Some may resist joint projects due to ego.
![“The way we started was, Alison [McGhee] said, 'Tall girl, short girl.' We had no plans beyond that.” quote by Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/333/kate-dicamillo-599_girl_the-way-we-started-was-alison-mcghee-sai_2988030.jpg)
![“While we were working, we were writing about a tall girl and a short girl, which we thought was funny, because Alison's [McGhee] tall and I'm short.” quote by Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9a8/kate-dicamillo-599_girl_while-we-were-working-we-were-writing-ab_2059664.jpg)
![“Alison [McGhee] and I have known each other since the summer of 2001. One evening we were sitting around talking about how we wished we had a good story to work on. Alison said: Why don't we work on a story together? I said: A story about what? And Alison said: A story about a short girl and a…” quote by Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b02/kate-dicamillo-599_evening_alison-mcghee-and-i-have-known-each-othe_1790961.jpg)
![“[He] had the soul of a poet, and because of this, he liked very much to consider questions that had no answers.” quote by Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/972/kate-dicamillo-599_answers_he-had-the-soul-of-a-poet-and-because-of_48829.jpg)
