The push and pull of representing your world responsibly and your artistic license is a tricky balance.

Eden Robinson

Categorized in : World Balance Artistic

Once your writing is out there, you can't control how other people perceive it. All you can do is stand in your truth.

perceive writing people

I don't really get romance. Bring me fish or moose, not flowers. by Eden Robinson

I don't really get romance. Bring me fish or moose, not flowers.

moose romance flower

I was born on the same day as Edgar Allan Poe and Dolly Parton: January 19. I am absolutely certain that this affects my writing in some way.

january writing way

We can be the new brand of self-extincting dinosaurs or we can evolve.

dinosaurs evolve self

I've had people who see all my characters as Native, even if they aren't. It's kind of like assuming all a writer's characters are really female because the writer is a woman. I've learned to let that go.

female character people

In general, I'm careful when I'm dealing with subjects of deep cultural importance and write with abandon when I'm dealing with issues of personal dysfunction.

dysfunction issues writing

I miss smoking (two to four packs a day) but I don't miss the cra... by Eden Robinson

I miss smoking (two to four packs a day) but I don't miss the crackle in my lungs when I breathed.

missing smoking two

I think the best advice I got was to not worry about what other people would think while you were working on your first draft. Focus on getting it out of your head. You can always edit the manuscript later.

worry people thinking

I find myself moved by social justice issues. I'm not sure where that will lead me. I'm willing to nurture it.

issues social justice

If I have a clear spot in my schedule, I like to tackle the heavy scenes that require the heightened emotion and focus of a long writing session. Otherwise, I have daily obligations that can't be ignored.

focus writing long

I have carpal tunnel so I can't write more than four hours total without tingling numbness. I take a lot of breaks and do stretches.

numbness tunnels writing

I do get flak for the lack of romance in my stories. by Eden Robinson

I do get flak for the lack of romance in my stories.

romance stories

Autumn. Pretty leaves, pumpkin pie and sweaters. Perfect weather for reading. Winter is great but I hate shoveling.

autumn hate reading

The critiques I received from my father's community didn't actually have to do with any of the things I'd been afraid of - spiritual or cultural aspects - they were more annoyed that I'd killed off this character or those characters hadn't hooked up or I'd done an open ending and it didn't give them a sense of closure that they were expecting.

spiritual character father

If I gave up writing, I'd have to find an equally obsessive way to fill my time. Yarn-bombing skyscrapers or making houses out of empty soda bottles.

yarn house writing

My family is filled with wonderful storytellers. I lack their gift of gab, so it's a relief to be able to write.

relief able writing

I don't know if I have a book in me, but I'm sure I have more ess... by Eden Robinson

I don't know if I have a book in me, but I'm sure I have more essays.

essays knows book

I think we're in a 1970s-level moment of social transition and they're always full of upheaval. As violent and deranged as we can be to each other and to other species, we've got nothing on tsunamis, hurricanes or tornadoes.

upheaval transition thinking

I think we learn slowly as a group, but we learn. The ozone layer... by Eden Robinson

I think we learn slowly as a group, but we learn. The ozone layer is still there.

ozone groups thinking

We have good people. We have selfless people. We have great leade... by Eden Robinson

We have good people. We have selfless people. We have great leaders.

selfless leader people