Fundamentals Quote by Tara Westover
“I read a handful of memoirs to get a sense of what the genre meant. I needed to learn the fundamentals of the craft. I had never written a word of narrative. What is a tense shift, what is point of view? I didn't know any of it.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New York Times, 2020
The author sought memoirs to grasp genre basics, learning narrative fundamentals like tense and perspective.
In simple terms: She studied memoirs to learn how to write narrative.
Key Takeaway
Read foundational works before writing.
Themes
learning
writing
genre
fundamentals
Mood
curious
determined
Type
educational
inspirational
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- self‑study
- literary analysis
Key Concepts
narrative structure
tense
point of view
Questions to Reflect On
- What core skill will you practice first?
- How does reading shape your own voice?
A Different Perspective
Understanding basics may not replace practice.
