You cannot predict literary success; the only way you can possibly aim for it is to do your thing and do it well. Emma Donoghue More Quotes by Emma Donoghue More Quotes From Emma Donoghue It's painful to consider anything but writing. Emma Donoghue painful writing The sound of the pages turning was the sound of magic. The dry liquid feel of paper under fingertips was what magic felt like. Emma Donoghue pages-turning magic sound I'm named after Jane Austen's Emma, and I've always been able to relate to her. She's strong, confident but quite tactless. Emma Donoghue emma able strong Writers should be applauded for their ability to make things up. Emma Donoghue ability should Kissing a witch is a perilous business. Everybody knows it's ten times as dangerous as letting her touch your hand, or cut your hair, or steal your shoes. What simpler way is there than a kiss to give power a way into your heart? Emma Donoghue kissing cutting heart Writing stories is my way of scratching that itch: my escape from the claustrophobia of individuality. It lets me, at least for a while, live more than one life, walk more than one path. Reading, of course, can do the same. Emma Donoghue individuality reading writing I watch his hands, they're lumpy but clever. "Is there a word for adults when they aren't parents?" Steppa laughs. "Folks with other things to do? Emma Donoghue clever laughing hands At the door, there was one of those moment when two people realize that they like each other more than they know each other. This is nicer than the opposite situation, but more awkward. You try to remember the protocol for touching. You hate to gush, or presume to much, yet you are unwilling to let the moment pass without without some gesture Emma Donoghue hate opposites doors Sometimes, I think there's a lack of ambition in me. But then sometimes, I think, no, you can, like William Blake said, you know, see heaven in a grain of sand. If you look really, really closely at a situation, you can find almost endless interest in it. Emma Donoghue ambition heaven thinking Everybody's damaged by something. Emma Donoghue I needed to do a lot of saying no. I had a lot of [interest] from people who I just didn't think were quite right for it. And I didn't want a bad film to be made of the book, either a sentimental one or a creepy one, so I did a lot of, "No thank you." Then when the right filmmaker came along, yes, I suppose I presented myself very much as wanting to be the writer. Emma Donoghue book people thinking Maybe I’m a human, but I’m a me-and-Ma as well. Emma Donoghue wells humans Something we do know is that review coverage does go to male authors more than women authors. That's a fact. I think it's one of those examples of unconscious bias: If you hire a lot of male journalists, they're more likely to pick up the latest Ian McEwan novel than the latest A.S. Byatt novel. Emma Donoghue males facts thinking ...Sometimes I suspect that what had really happened was that we became more resigned, more cynical, raised our pain thresholds as we lowered our expectations. All in all, settled for less. Emma Donoghue cynical pain expectations We used to call it her Cinderella complex, because often when she had agreed to go out in the evening she would be seized by panic and announce that she had nothing to wear. Emma Donoghue evening panic would-be Vitamins are medicine for not getting sick and going back to Heaven yet. Emma Donoghue medicine sick heaven There may be certain genres that men dominate, but fiction not so much. The question of prizes is tricky because there are so many prizes. Emma Donoghue may men fiction People move around so much in the world, things get lost. Emma Donoghue people world moving People don't always want to be with people. It gets tiring. Emma Donoghue tire want people Some writers can produce marvelous plots without planning it out, but I can't. In particular I need to know the structure of a novel: what's going to happen in each chapter and each scene. Emma Donoghue planning plot needs
