We have to give our poor, innocent, and undeserving-of-our-badness characters trouble in order to make them characters in a story. Alice Mattison More Quotes by Alice Mattison More Quotes From Alice Mattison Being part of a community of writers is huge. I really think that's why people go to MFA programs. Alice Mattison community people thinking Every once in a while someone says, 'You can't really learn anything, if you're really a writer then you wouldn't need to do it.' But I think what people need is the sense of not being alone. They go to MFA programs to be part of a community of people who care, and then you start caring about your friend who is trying to edit a magazine and your other friend who is stuck in the middle of her poem. There you have all kinds of things to worry about besides your own success. Alice Mattison caring people thinking I think people feel for a long time that they ought to know how to write a novel in two drafts. Alice Mattison writing two thinking Whoever would write books? It's suffering as well as greatly satisfying. And certainly there's suffering in the sense that you don't know for a long time how to do it. Alice Mattison writing long book I think you have to remember that writing is hard; my first editor used to say that to me. Alice Mattison editors writing thinking The main thing is to explain to yourself that everybody suffers. Alice Mattison suffering There are so many different ways, most of them helpful and legal, to get yourself into a state of mind where writing is possible. It's going to be different for each person. Alice Mattison different mind writing I don't really like to tell people to get out drugs. Alice Mattison drug people I find that I get very excited about what my students are up to and that I get to be the hurdle they need to jump over. Alice Mattison excited students needs Teaching is very important to me, and it has become more important as I get older. Alice Mattison important teaching I just like doing it, I like writing. Alice Mattison writing You may be somebody who writes best for a small press that doesn't pay very well, but you might have a fascinating and intricate style that might not appeal to as many readers but will be incredibly meaningful to the readers you have. Truly, that's as wonderful if not more wonderful. Alice Mattison style writing meaningful We have to diversify, we have to find work we can do that helps other people while helping ourselves, work that has to do with writing that isn't necessarily just writing saleable novels or getting huge advances. Alice Mattison helping-others writing people There's the belief that we can't be smart enough to write. And certainly censorship of women, too. Alice Mattison smart belief writing You have to write fiction that mirrors the actual world, which has people of all sorts in it. Alice Mattison mirrors writing people I heard a white writer say, 'Oh, I'd never put black people in my writing, I'm afraid I would offend someone by doing it wrong.' I can't bear that! Alice Mattison white writing people Sometimes people want to know how to write a story from the point of view of a murderer and make her sympathetic. I think the answer is that you start by having her look for her car keys, because everybody knows what it's like. Alice Mattison keys writing thinking Anyone with an imagination can write about the day-to-day experiences of someone he or she is not. Alice Mattison day-to-day imagination writing I don't think a white person can write accurately and convincingly about what black people experience of oppression. Alice Mattison white writing thinking I think the difference between writing as someone and writing for them is that when you write for someone, you take on a kind of political burden or message, which I don't think we have the right to do. Alice Mattison differences writing thinking
