The quality of gifts depends on the sincerity of the giver. Ann Patchett More Quotes by Ann Patchett More Quotes From Ann Patchett If I was a waitress, I was too tired at the end of the day when I came home to try to write. Ann Patchett tired home writing There are, of course, people who didn't create the trouble they're in, but lots of them do. Ann Patchett courses trouble people I craft everything in the beginning. I know where the characters are going before I start writing the book. Ann Patchett writing character book The hardest piece of nonfiction I ever wrote isn't anywhere close to the easiest piece of fiction I never wrote. Ann Patchett nonfiction pieces fiction Fiction is always really a labor. Ann Patchett labor fiction Nonfiction is easy and fiction is hard. Ann Patchett nonfiction easy fiction I am sure every writer has this and probably every newscaster, that people are always coming up to me and saying, my daughter wants to do what you do, my godson, my tennis partner. Ann Patchett tennis daughter people When I wrote nonfiction, my best work was the really personal stuff. Ann Patchett nonfiction best-work stuff I saw that my best work was my most personal work, which is odd, because my fiction is very far afield and has nothing to do with my life. Ann Patchett saws odd fiction I decided to make my living as a magazine writer. And I found that it was really easy and fun. Ann Patchett magazines easy fun I tend to keep my ideas in my head. When I write something down in a notebook it's never centralized. There are too many notebooks floating around, but maybe that's a good thing. Ann Patchett notebook writing ideas That's one of the many things about having the bookstore that I adore. I can walk into the store and say to somebody, "I'm glad you're reading this book" or "I'm glad you're getting this book" or "Don't get that book. I read that book and hated that book. Let's get you this book instead." Ann Patchett stores reading book You can't say, "I'm too busy writing to be political." You are one person. Ann Patchett political busy writing You can't be a jerk in order to be a good writer. Ann Patchett jerk good-writers order You can't be a good person when you're writing and a bad person to your husband or a bad friend. Ann Patchett bad-friend husband writing If I had problems, I kept them to myself. I didn't make a scene. Ann Patchett scene problem ifs Some people need a huge amount of attention, and they are worthy of that attention, and they're still exhausting. Ann Patchett attention people needs Anytime you write about priests or cops, they're hot-button professions. Ann Patchett buttons hot writing I certainly have written a lot about police in my life, and it's not only something that I know about, but always something that interests me. Ann Patchett police interest knows I should figure out why I'm so much more interested in doing something that I think is really hard. But, somehow, the thing that is hard for me feels more noble. Ann Patchett noble figures thinking