If there is a heaven, Jane Austen is sitting in a small room with Mother Teresa and Princess Diana, listening to Duran Duran, forever. If there's a hell, she's standing. Roddy Doyle More Quotes by Roddy Doyle More Quotes From Roddy Doyle I like naming characters. Roddy Doyle character Most working days I can be at my desk for nine hours a day. Roddy Doyle desks hours nine It's hard for me to measure them, or to assess my books because I'm so close to them. Roddy Doyle hard book My parents were sixty years married. Roddy Doyle married parent years Sometimes adults seem as though they have cut a chord from being a child. Roddy Doyle adults cutting children When you grow up on an island, what matters is how you stand to the sea. Roddy Doyle growing-up what-matters islands I've been asked why does Ireland produce so many great musicians, and the answer is it doesn't. When you count the great musicians Ireland has given the world in the last 20 years, you can do it on one hand. Roddy Doyle musician hands years When I was growing up, the exam system didn't allow you to write fiction, so you never did. Roddy Doyle growing-up writing fiction Dreaming was only nice while it lasted. Roddy Doyle nice dream It was a sign of growing up, when the dark made no more difference to you than the day. Roddy Doyle growing-up differences dark The best way to reveal a character is to get them to open their mouths. Roddy Doyle mouths character way I do enjoy Gothic fiction or books about zombies if they are well written and I like vampires. Roddy Doyle vampire zombie book I don't work to any commissions. I do what I want to do. Roddy Doyle want I tend to plan as I write. And I want to leave myself open and the character open to keep on going until it seems to be the time to stop. Roddy Doyle want writing character I wouldn't go out of my way to experience the indignity of middle-age just because it might be good meat for a story. Roddy Doyle age might way I'm going to sound like an old man but at my age, it's lovely doing something that you've never done before. Roddy Doyle lovely age men Do not place a photograph of your favourite author on your desk, especially if the author is one of the famous ones who committed suicide. Roddy Doyle favourite photograph suicide My novels come from within me; they are things I feel I want to do. Roddy Doyle novel want feels I wasn't even aware of the Year of the Family. I couldn't give a toss. These things - the year of the family, the year of the three-legged dog. I think it's all trash. Roddy Doyle family dog thinking Schools don't really allow failure and yet it's a valid part of any endeavour, not just writing. Roddy Doyle any just failure writing
