E.L. Doctorow: Writing

E.L. Doctorow was novelist, editor, professor. Explore interesting quotes on writing.

E.L. Doctorow: 50 quotes2 likes

“Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.”

Interview in Writers at Work (1988)

“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader—not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.”

“I am telling you what I know—words have music and if you are a musician you will write to hear them.”

“Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.”

The New York Times (20 October 1985)

“Planning to write is not writing. Outlining... researching... talking to people about what you’re doing, none of that is writing. Writing is writing.”

The New York Times (20 October 1985)

“Writers are not just people who sit down and write. They hazard themselves. Every time you compose a book your composition of yourself is at stake.”

“History is the present. That’s why every generation writes it anew. But what most people think of as history is its end product, myth.”

Interview in Writers at Work (1988)