The seeker embarks on a journey to find what he wants and discovers, along the way, what he needs. Wally Lamb More Quotes by Wally Lamb More Quotes From Wally Lamb Power, wrongly used, defeats the oppressor as well as the oppressed. Wally Lamb wells defeat used If you want your prayers answered, get up off your knees and do something about them. Wally Lamb knees prayer want Its the most breathtakingly ironic things about living: the fact that we are all-identical twins included-alone. Singular. And yet what we seek-what saves us-is our connection to others. Wally Lamb ironic connections facts Religion's just a well-oiled profit-driven denial of the randomness of it all. Wally Lamb denial profit driven As my early drawings warned me, where humans go, lions and tidal waves follow. Wally Lamb wave lions drawing When I was a kid, I was surrounded by girls: older sisters, older girl cousins just down the street... except for an older boy named Vito who threw rocks. Each year I would wish for a baby brother. It never happened. Wally Lamb cousin girl baby The roundness of life's design may be a sign that there is a presence beyond ourselves. Wally Lamb design may Dialogue comes naturally to me and I can hear the characters' voices in the scenes. Wally Lamb voice scene character I wanted to connect a modern story with a myth that I had read. Wally Lamb myth modern stories I like to be surprised. The best writing is when it defies me, when it starts going a different way than I had planned. Wally Lamb different writing way I like to write first-person because I like to become the character I'm writing. Wally Lamb writing character firsts Hardest thing: creating something out of nothing - the first draft is torturous. Wally Lamb hardest creating firsts I think I write fiction for the opportunity to get beyond the limits of my own life. Wally Lamb writing opportunity thinking When I was a kid... I needed to belong. Wally Lamb needed kids People waste their happiness - that's what makes me sad. Everyone's so scared to be happy. Wally Lamb scared waste people I love revising. If you demystify the process, it comes down to four strategies: what can I do to make the draft better; what should I cut out to make it stronger; what do I need to do to clarify it; and finally, what should I reposition. Wally Lamb stronger cutting needs Human behavior in the midst of hardship caught my attention very early on, and my first stories were all pictures, no words. Wally Lamb hardship stories attention First I laughed my way through Elinor Lipman's book of political tweets. Then I put my ear to the ground and listened to Molly Ivins guffawing from the grave. Lipman is a piquant poetic rock star! Wally Lamb rocks stars book Take what people give you. Drink their milkshakes. Wally Lamb drink giving people My Italian-American heritage, of which I'm very proud and with which I identify strongly, surfaces in several of my novels. Wally Lamb heritage proud italian