About Quote by Suzan-Lori Parks
“Everything I write doesn't appear to be biography until later. I often say that I've never written about anything I've experienced. Of course, that's not true. But it doesn't appear familiar to me at all. And maybe that's because I have to be in a kind of coma in order to write. If it appeared familiar, I wouldn't.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Paris Review, 2007
Writing often feels detached from personal experience, requiring a mental distance to create.
In simple terms: Writing needs a mental distance from self.
Key Takeaway
Allow yourself a creative 'coma'.
Themes
writing
self-reflection
identity
artistic process
detachment
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- novel drafting
- journal entries
- screenplay development
- poetry composition
Key Concepts
Narrative voice
subjectivity
psychology of creation
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do writers need distance from their own lives?
- How does this 'coma' affect authenticity?
A Different Perspective
Risk of losing authenticity or emotional resonance.
![“The first time I went over to [my director's] house, he said to me, This is a very strange play. I was pleased that he reminded me of that. [He] understands the play [VENUS] intellectually and emotionally and the humor, the funny bone.” quote by Suzan-Lori Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/06d/suzan-lori-parks-20794_bones_the-first-time-i-went-over-to-my-directo_860136.jpg)
