I began as a dramatist in the theater, so I'm always thinking about how a story moves, what it looks like, how to engage the senses, how dialogue sounds, what feels authentic and sounds real, what's funny, how to build distinctive and original characters - all the aspects of playwriting, scene-building, the architecture of dramatizing.

Adriana Trigiani

Categorized in : Moving Character Real

That's when you know for sure somebody loves you. They figure out what you need and they give it to you - without you asking.

Adriana Trigiani

love-you sweet giving

A good mother is irreplaceable.

Adriana Trigiani

good-mother mom mother

No one worries about you like your mother, and when she is gone, the world seems unsafe, things that happen unwieldy. You cannot turn to her anymore, and it changes your life forever. There is no one on earth who knew you from the day you were born; who knew why you cried, or when you'd had enough food; who knew exactly what to say when you were hurting; and who encouraged you to grow a good heart. When that layer goes, whatever is left of your childhood goes with her.

Adriana Trigiani

hurt mother heart

But what Mom never told me is that along the way, you find sisters, and they find you. Girls are cool that way.

Adriana Trigiani

sister girl mom

All the things I thought I was - simple and plain and sometime funny - are very small words. They do not begin to describe me. They do not begin to express what is inside of me. I have value, and I have worth. I cannot be replaced like old shoes or taken for granted like tap water.

Adriana Trigiani

shoes taken simple

I even love the smell of books.

Adriana Trigiani

smell reading book

Isn't this the truth of any good mother? That in all of our lives. We worry only about those we brought into this world, regardless of whether they loved us back or treated us fairly or understood our shortcomings.

Adriana Trigiani

mom mother worry

I loved to read, still do, and it seemed that the writing was a result of the love of books and reading and libraries.

Adriana Trigiani

reading writing book

This is where men and women are different, we can put aside petty competition for relationships - they can't. It interferes.

Adriana Trigiani

competition different men

Art makes the spirit soar. And when the spirit is lifted, life follows.

Adriana Trigiani

soar spirit art

When a girl is beautiful, she gets to pick - she never has to wait for someone to choose her.

Adriana Trigiani

girl waiting beautiful

For a woman, love is the highest dream, and if a man promises to build a ladder tall enough to reach it, she believes him, hikes up her skirt, and follows him to the stars.

Adriana Trigiani

stars dream believe

I look at my roommates who are so proud of me that it makes me proud.

Adriana Trigiani

roommate proud looks

We hang out, we help one another, we tell one another our worst fears and biggest secrets, and then just like real sisters, we listen and don't judge.

Adriana Trigiani

sister real judging

I like it when my mother smiles. And I especially like it when I make her smile.

Adriana Trigiani

make-her-smile smile mother

I don't settle in any other area of my life when it comes to excellence, so why should I lower my standards when it comes to boys?

Adriana Trigiani

settling excellence boys

The good things that happen to us were meant to happen, and the bad things that happen are lessons meant to teach us to be better.

Adriana Trigiani

teach lessons good-things

This is one of those times when explaining a feeling cannot measure up to actually having the feeling

Adriana Trigiani

explaining feelings

Money doesn't have anything have anything to do with the magnificence of a person. It doesn't. What matters is what you make. Whether it's a cake for bingo night or a costume for a saint or a wall of water-whatever you pour into this life is what makes you rich.

Adriana Trigiani

wall what-matters night

Beware the things of this world that can mean everything or nothing.

Adriana Trigiani

this-world mean world