We cannot abandon this rabbit hole for fear of a traumatic encounter with our own culture. Elif Safak More Quotes by Elif Safak More Quotes From Elif Safak Bad writing is like a bad relationship. Don't be addicted to it just because you are familiar with its ways. Let go. Elif Safak bad you writing relationship We need a dose of doubt and a dose of faith, to challenge each other. Elif Safak challenge need faith doubt When I looked at people like Goya and Pina Bausch, the message I got was just do what you're passionate about. Don't think about what other people are going to say or how they're going to receive your work. Just be your work. Elif Safak think you work people I was in Madrid as a young girl and a teenager. I'll never forget when I went to the Prado Museum for the first time and saw the paintings of Goya. They had such a big impact on me. Elif Safak me never-forget girl time There are two different ways of writing a novel. The first I call the traditional father way, when the novelist slightly situates himself or herself above the text and knows what each and every character is going to do. It's a bit like engineering. I've never felt close to that tradition. I like the second way, which relies a bit more on intuition. Elif Safak tradition character father way It is tiring to be Turkish. The country is badly polarised, bitterly politicized. Every writer, journalist, poet knows that because of an article, a novel, an interview, a poem or a tweet you can be sued, put on trial, even arrested. Self-censorship is widespread. Elif Safak interview you poet country English, for me, is an acquired language. I started with English at the age of 10. At the time, it was my third language. Elif Safak me language age time When I was 10 years old, we moved to Spain with my mother. I learned Spanish before I learned English. But the English language stayed with me. Elif Safak me english-language language mother Writing in another language gives me an additional freedom, an additional way of thinking. It's a challenge, but I like the challenge. Elif Safak challenge me freedom thinking
