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Big deal Quote by Matt de la Pena

“The second book, which was probably more from a professional standpoint - when I read Junot Díaz's Drown, I was like, Oh my god, you can write these stories and people will actually read them beyond your own little community. This guy's book is blowing up and it seems like [he's writing about] the…” quote by Matt de la Pena
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“The second book, which was probably more from a professional standpoint - when I read Junot Díaz's Drown, I was like, Oh my god, you can write these stories and people will actually read them beyond your own little community. This guy's book is blowing up and it seems like [he's writing about] the neighborhood that I grew up in. That was a big deal. I read that in graduate school, so that's when I was really taking writing seriously, but I didn't know you could do it. I didn't know you can actually be an author. It was a weird epiphany.”

Matt de la Pena

About This Quote

Source Interview: Author discussion, 2020

Realizing that stories from one’s own community can reach a broad audience can inspire confidence to pursue writing as a career.

In simple terms: Seeing that personal stories can be widely read inspires writing confidence.

Key Takeaway

Believe your voice matters and write.

Themes

inspiration career representation confidence

Mood

hopeful determined

Type

motivational reflective

When to use this quote

  • graduate school
  • writing workshops
  • publishing pitches
  • community storytelling

Key Concepts

identity cultural narrative literary ambition

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you find an audience for your own community stories?
  • What steps will you take to write seriously?
A Different Perspective

Success also depends on market trends and publishing gatekeepers.

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