I was a very bad journalist. Awful. I would just invent everything. If I did an interview, I had a preconception of what that person should say and I would put my words in his mouth. Isabel Allende More Quotes by Isabel Allende More Quotes From Isabel Allende One of the things that always comes up in my writing is the search for freedom, especially in women. I always write about women who are marginalized, who have no means or resources and somehow manage to get out of those situations with incredible strength - and that is more important than anything. Isabel Allende important writing mean Nations should be governed by a council of learned men who must answer to the people for their actions. Isabel Allende answers men people We don't even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome. Isabel Allende strong war people A memoir forces me to stop and remember carefully. It is an exercise in truth. In a memoir, I look at myself, my life, and the people I love the most in the mirror of the blank screen. In a memoir, feelings are more important than facts, and to write honestly, I have to confront my demons. Isabel Allende mirrors exercise writing The fact that I am a writer comes from the experience of being cut away from my roots and living in Venezuela, where I couldn't find a place for myself, for years and years. Isabel Allende cutting roots years The pain of losing my child was a cleansing experience. I had to throw overboard all excess baggage and keep only what is essential. Isabel Allende excess-baggage pain children write with honesty and don't worry about the feelings of others, because no matter what you say, they'll hate you anyway. Isabel Allende honesty hate writing When you tell a story in the kitchen to a friend, it's full of mistakes and repetitions. It's good to avoid that in literature, but still, a story should feel like a conversation. It's not a lecture. Isabel Allende kitchen stories mistake The media could do a much better job, that's for sure, especially the media that targets women... Human rights? They couldn't care less! Isabel Allende media rights jobs Land is something one should never sell. It is the only thing left when all else is gone Isabel Allende land should gone It is common knowledge that no man that women flock to boasts of his conquests. Those who do, lie. Isabel Allende common men lying Some people connect with a story and may find between the lines something that might be useful to him or her, but that's not the intention of the author, I think. At least not mine. Isabel Allende stories people thinking You would give your life for your little baby. It's not the same when you are in a sexual relationship unless you feel that you are loved as you love. Isabel Allende littles baby giving I get hundreds of emails daily and a lot of feedback from people that are reading or have read my books. When I'm writing, or in my daily life, I just think of the work. I love to tell a story, but I might work with a story to make it the best I can without thinking of how many people will read it or if it will influence anybody. Isabel Allende reading writing book The one that came really easy was the Japanese lover, because he's like a ghost in the book. He's always in the background like a spirit, like a shadow, almost. There's a very delicate line there. Isabel Allende lines shadow book People come from internally, from other places in the United States, but also displaced people from other parts of the world. They come here. If you walk in the streets of San Francisco, you hear all the languages. You smell all the foods. You listen to the music from everywhere. There's great diversity. Isabel Allende san-francisco smell people I have a very acute sense of place and time, so all of my stories are rooted in a place and a time. Isabel Allende sense-of-place place-and-time stories Sometimes journalists ask me, "What's the message?" There is no message. I think that fiction should not be trying to give messages. Just tell a story. Isabel Allende trying giving thinking I'm not willing to sign a contract. They want everything. They want the rights to do the movie and everything else they can think of, forever. There's no limit to the contract. In this universe and universes to be discovered - I'm not making this up - this is in the contract. Isabel Allende rights forever thinking I went to a mystery writers conference ... and I learned a lot not only from the faculty - and in the faculty we had forensic doctors, detectives, policemen, experts in guns, etc. - but from the questions of the students. Isabel Allende doctors gun experts
