If you're not riddled with doubt, you've probably done something wrong. Patrick deWitt More Quotes by Patrick deWitt More Quotes From Patrick deWitt Looking around, I saw so many unhappy adults, people who loathed their jobs, and I didn't want to be one of them. Patrick deWitt looking unhappy want people Certain writers look down their noses at plot, and I think I might have been one of them until I tried it. Patrick deWitt tried down look think I come by writing dialogue fairly naturally, I've got a chatty family; I'm a bit of a voyeur, and if I'm ever in a public place, I automatically find myself listening. Patrick deWitt place myself family writing The question of likability is a bit of a puzzler for me. You know, I don't write people with likability in mind. It's more whether or not I find them compelling. Patrick deWitt me you mind people I don't know that happy people are interesting to write about - or to read about. Patrick deWitt know happy people interesting I don't know that I'd call myself an optimist. Patrick deWitt call myself know optimist My interest in words and literature is always changing. And every day of work is different, and it doesn't feel laborious in the way that, say, washing dishes did. I'm quite happy to be doing what I'm doing, and I feel very lucky. Patrick deWitt words day work happy The hardest thing in the world for a writer is to amass a readership. So many good books come out, and so many good books disappear. Patrick deWitt books good disappear world I am a homebody, something that lends itself to my profession. Patrick deWitt homebody i-am something profession The question about my Canadianness comes up a lot, and I'm never quite sure what to say about it. I've carved a life out for myself in Oregon, and it feels like home, not because it's the States but because that's where my friends are and where my son is. Patrick deWitt myself home life son I wrote for so many years in a bubble, the way everyone does, and there were large swaths of time where you think you're doing this for nothing. An audience is crucial, a back and forth with the invisible readers. Patrick deWitt think you time way I have a paranoia that 'Ablutions' is the best thing I'll ever do. Patrick deWitt ever thing best paranoia I was intentionally curbing the impulse to be funny and hiding the ability. I wrote any number of very serious attempts at poems, short stories, novels - horrible. At a certain point, I recognized that it was fun to write dialogue that had a degree of lightness and humor. Patrick deWitt serious humor fun funny Some deeper part of me wants to write comical dialogue; I'd be foolish to not follow that impulse. Now I recognize that if there's energy to a section of work, you go where the energy is. It's a living thing, and you just follow it. Patrick deWitt me you energy work I'm either enjoying myself or I'm not. And if I'm not enjoying myself, something's gone terribly wrong. Patrick deWitt wrong something myself gone When your protagonist bores you, you're in trouble. Patrick deWitt protagonist your you trouble One of the nice things about writing is you can take essentially painful things in your life and turn them into something that might be useful, or at least entertaining, to somebody else. Patrick deWitt you nice writing life All of my close friends are emotional train wrecks. This is what makes our lives interesting - constantly doubting ourselves, worrying, wondering if we've made a mistake. Could we have done better? Are we good people? Are we bad people? Patrick deWitt good friends mistake people The theme of luck comes up a lot. It's something I thought about before, why some people are lucky and some people aren't lucky. It seems like some people you meet can sort of cultivate luck, and I've always been fascinated by that. Patrick deWitt thought you luck people It's healthy to have interests besides books. Patrick deWitt besides interests books healthy
