Things are not at all what they seem to be: oh no, not at all. Kate DiCamillo More Quotes by Kate DiCamillo More Quotes From Kate DiCamillo I am really an introvert, and I need that time alone for a variety of reasons. Kate DiCamillo introvert reason needs The closest I can get to describing what happens is that voices come to me. I feel like I'm accessing something that is deeper and richer than me. Kate DiCamillo deeper voice feels Mercy Watson is obsessed with toast. What was blocking me was the challenge of trying to understand what she loves, what motivates her. That was the missing piece. Toast became the physical symbol of Mercy's hopefully endearing greed and obsession. Without that element in place, it didn't make sense. Kate DiCamillo greed block missing The Watsons have lost sight of the fact that Mercy Watson is a pig, and they love her truly, madly, deeply. They live next door to two elderly sisters, Eugenia Lincoln and Baby Lincoln. Eugenia Lincoln is horrified that a pig is living in the house next door. Baby Lincoln secretly likes Mercy a great deal. Kate DiCamillo sight pigs baby I'm in trouble if they can't, because everyone's taller than me, and if that's true, that means I can't have any friends! Alison [McGhee] and I look very much like, I was going to say Bink and Gollie, but I meant Mutt and Jeff. We look ridiculous when we walk down the street together, because she's so tall and I'm so short. But yes, tall people and short people can, and should be, friends. I, personally, like being short. I think it makes things easier. Kate DiCamillo mean people thinking I show up and try, but I may have to ask myself if I need to wait and let myself regenerate and take a break. I know that this thing that makes the stories has to be treated gently. So sometimes I'll just stop and let the well fill up. With my work, sometimes I hate doing it, but I love having done it. The key is to keep doing it. Kate DiCamillo hate keys waiting The way we started was, Alison [McGhee] said, 'Tall girl, short girl.' We had no plans beyond that. Kate DiCamillo girl said way I was over at Alison's [McGhee], I think we were playing Scrabble. I remember we were both complaining - yeah, we sound like whiners - about how hard writing is, and how we didn't have a story to work on. Alison said, 'Why don't we work on writing something together,' and I said, 'Eh, I don't know if I could work that way.' She said, 'Well, just show up here and we'll see,' and I said, 'Well, what would it be about?' She said, 'Duh, it'd be about a tall girl and a short girl.' So I agreed to come and try it for a day. Kate DiCamillo girl writing thinking I never want to be a role model. Kate DiCamillo role-models roles want If I am just home and writing, I become very strange. Kate DiCamillo strange home writing Most of my books begin with an image or a voice - one small thing - and I don't know what it is going to become. Kate DiCamillo voice knows book I don't think about being a celebrity. Kate DiCamillo thinking This is the great thing about writing for kids. Adults might not do anything if they recognized me. But if they do see me, and they're with a kid, they'll tell the kid who I am. They think they should give that to the kid. So generally that sends the kid over. Kate DiCamillo writing kids thinking Minnesota has been so good to me and so pleased that I love Minnesota. Kate DiCamillo minnesota has-beens If you want to be a writer, write a little bit every day. Pay attention to the world around you. Stories are hiding, waiting everywhere. You just have to open your eyes and your heart. Kate DiCamillo eyes day waiting heart To me, this is one of the great things about writing kids' books: the illustrations. Kate DiCamillo great me great-things writing Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift. Kate DiCamillo gift duty reading children I was a kid who loved to read. I read everything I could get my hands on. I didn't have one favorite book. I had lots of favorite books: 'The Borrowers' by Mary Norton, 'Paddington' by Michael Bond, 'A Little Princess' by Frances Hodgson Burnett, 'Stuart Little' by EB White, 'A Cricket in Times Square,' all the Beverly Cleary books. Kate DiCamillo bond loved cricket book There's this amplification that happens anytime you tell a story. You let it go out into the world. It's the most beautiful thing. All I can do is look at it in wonder and amazement. Kate DiCamillo look you beautiful world So much of writing is like walking down a dark hallway with your arms out in front of you. You bump into a lot of things. Kate DiCamillo down you dark walking
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