Book Quote by Rachel Ferguson
““I never knew what an extraordinary thing it could be to write a book. In the first place, the characters take the bit between their jaws and canter off with you into places you don't want and never catered for. I had smugly intended my book to be about a family rather like ours, but, lud love you! it's already turned into an account of a barmaid's career in an Edgware Road pub, and I can't squeeze us in anywhere! Odd things happen, too. I had called my pub, 'The Three Feathers,' and counted on there being heaps of pubs in Edgware Road, not called that, but looking a bit like my description. Before we left home, I went down Edgware Road to investigate, and found my pub, even down to the old-fashioned phonograph on the table in the upstairs sitting-room. And I thought, 'I built that place.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Radio interview, 1995, BBC Radio 4
Writing a book can take on a life of its own, shaping unexpected characters and settings beyond the author's original plan.
In simple terms: Books can surprise authors with unintended stories.
Key Takeaway
Embrace unexpected twists in your work.
Themes
creativity
unexpectedness
authorial control
serendipity
Mood
amused
reflective
Type
personal
creative
anecdotal
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- character development
- setting research
- creative process
Key Concepts
narrative emergence
authorial intent
fictional reality
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance planned narrative with emergent ideas?
- What strategies help integrate unexpected elements?
A Different Perspective
Unexpected details may clash with original vision, causing frustration.
![“Wherever I am, if I've got a book with me, I have a place I can go and be happy." [ Harry Potter Beyond the Page: A Virtual Author Visit with J.K. Rowling ( Scholastic / Stacks webcast, October 11, 2012)]” quote by J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/163/j-k-rowling-86_best_wherever-i-am-if-i-ve-got-a-book-with-me_2103104.jpg)
