Believe Quote by Penelope Fitzgerald

Biographies are, in their nature, far more difficult to make into films than novels, because novels come with plots constructed and dialogue written, whereas…

— Claire Tomalin

On the whole, I think you should write biographies of those you admire and respect, and novels about human beings who you think are…

— Penelope Fitzgerald

I do not think that one is likely to write a good biography unless one feels some sympathy with its subject.

— Iris Origo

So I think a writer should write what he loves, the people he relates to.

— David E. Kelley

Writing fiction is very different to writing non-fiction. I love writing novels, but on history books, like my biographies of Stalin or Catherine the…

— Simon Sebag Montefiore

I think biography can be more personal than fiction, and certainly can be more expressive.

— Peter Ackroyd

Biographies never feel as real as the best fiction. There is such a discontinuity between the narrative and the material it comes from, which…

— Janet Malcolm

If you know anything about writing biographies, or what is regarded as a good biography, you have minimum input from the person you are…

— Lady Colin Campbell

I'm not fond of biographies. I don't like writing about myself.

— Wole Soyinka

People respect nonfiction but they read novels.

— E. O. Wilson

Writing fiction lets you be a little more emotional and unguarded, a little freer. Writing fictional characters is also really different from writing about…

— Elif Batuman

Why do we read biography? Why do we choose to write it? Because we are human beings, programmed to be curious about other human…

— Claire Tomalin