Book Quote by Lynne Tillman
“I learned to write from reading. I had no writing classes. It's part of my thinking as the writer-author, reading, but then I also want to bring this into my characters, who also read and think. There's that great quote from Virginia Woolf - it's very simple: "...books continue each other." I think when you're a writer, you're also, hopefully, a reader, and you're bringing those earlier works into your work.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Lynne Tillman on Writing, 2020
Reading fuels writing; the writer absorbs ideas from books, letting characters become readers too, creating a dialogue across works.
In simple terms: Reading informs writing and character development.
Key Takeaway
Read widely to enrich your writing.
Themes
creativity
learning
intertextuality
Mood
inspirational
thoughtful
Type
advice
literary
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- literary analysis
- creative practice
Key Concepts
literary influence
character development
Questions to Reflect On
- How does reading shape your characters?
- What books have most influenced your voice?
A Different Perspective
May overstate the ease of integrating reading into writing.
![“If I knew what I was thinking [...] I would never have become a writer.” quote by Amélie Nothomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6f1/amelie-nothomb-1581_knew_if-i-knew-what-i-was-thinking-i-would-ne_267765.jpg)
![“[Reality] isn't simply the so-called world that you're in. Your reality is a much larger one that takes in all matter of identification and desires and hopes.” quote by Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/580/lynne-tillman-5609_desire_reality-isn-t-simply-the-so-called-world_223218.jpg)
