As a writer, my main objective is to tell the story urgently - as if whispering it into one ear - and to know the characters intimately. Julianna Baggott More Quotes by Julianna Baggott More Quotes From Julianna Baggott Love is a luxury. It's something that people are allowed to indulge in when they're not simply trying to survive and keep other people alive. Julianna Baggott luxury indulge-in love-is A good novel doesn't just transcend the boundaries of its target market - it knows nothing about target markets. Julianna Baggott target-market novel boundaries Sometimes the only way to fix a mistake- is to make it twice. Julianna Baggott mistake sometimes way I believe that one of the most damning things about our culture is the adage to never talk religion and politics. Because we don't model this discourse at the dinner table and at Thanksgiving, we don't know how to do it well and we're not teaching our children about the world and about how to discuss it. Julianna Baggott teaching believe children What does it mean to be Catholic and not a Catholic? I feel adrift, homeless. My Catholic imagination allows me to see the soul as a lit breath, seeking the divine. It persists. Julianna Baggott catholic imagination mean Beauty, you can find it here if you look hard enough. Julianna Baggott hard enough looks Sometimes you meet someone and you know that your life will be different from then on. Julianna Baggott different knows sometimes The poem has to bear the weight with image, language... the screenplay with dialogue, plot. Julianna Baggott plot weight bears Memories are like water. Julianna Baggott water memories And I know I'm supposed to feel guilty for wanting people to buy my books... and books in general? Novels and poetry, they belong to the realm of art. How dirty of us to try to hawk art! But, after a decade of hand-wringing and apologies, I can't quite muster the guilt anymore. Julianna Baggott book dirty art First, you hand over some basics-overwhelming joy, existential angst, a giving-in to desire, etc. And then you promise to withstand talking idly about the weather, to encourage cliché, to uphold the virtues of average. You hand over the need to be understood and, in return, you get a bar of Normal soap. And you can wash in it and be daily reborn to a safe world of modest, enduring love or, at least, mild, well-mannered bonding. Julianna Baggott average love hands I'm about to start something new. I'm waiting to be whelmed. The whelming as you start something new is quite something. Julianna Baggott something-new waiting Love is selfless, it is a weakness, a giving in, a constant falling. Julianna Baggott love-is giving fall But there it is: Everyone is alone, for life, and maybe that's not such a bad thing. Julianna Baggott bad-things Red Sox fans have been pushed to the brink over the years, but that's how faith grows stronger. Julianna Baggott stronger fans years Some of the best work done to combat the Republicans has been wit and humor. Julianna Baggott wit-and-humor republican done The truth is that for those 86 long years when the Red Sox went without a World Series win, fans were not only in a recession, but trapped in a longstanding, deeply entrenched sports depression. Julianna Baggott winning sports years Our imaginations are strong as children. Sometimes they get shoved aside, these imaginations. They get dusty and mildewed with age. The imagination is a muscle that has to be put to use or it shrivels. Julianna Baggott strong imagination children I'm a writer of faith who worries about the intolerance of religion. I look at the past and fear we haven't learned from it. I believe that humanity is capable of evil as well as great acts of courage and goodness. I have hope. Deep down, I believe in the human spirit, although sometimes that belief is shaken. Julianna Baggott evil believe past You want the greatest trick for writing a novel? Here it is: imagine urgently whispering your story into one person's ear - and only one. This one visualization will clarify every word choice you make. Julianna Baggott choices stories writing
