“You write while you are alive. You do not preserve them in alcohol until the moment you are ready to write about them.”

— Anaïs Nin

As quoted in Woman As Writer (1978) by Jeannette L. Webber and Joan Grumman, p. 42
Context: The preoccupation of the novelist: how to capture the living moments, was answered by the diary. You write while you are alive. You do not preserve them in alcohol until the moment you are ready to write about them.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "You write while you are alive. You do not preserve them in alcohol until the moment you are ready to write about them." by Anaïs Nin?

Anaïs Nin 278

writer of novels, short stories, and erotica 1903–1977

Theodore Sturgeon (1918–1985) American speculative fiction writer

“You list the dead. You tell the stories of the past. You write about the catastrophes and the massacres. What about the living, Finnikin? Who honors them?”

Melina Marchetta Finnikin of the Rock

Source: Finnikin of the Rock

“When you start getting into the process of writing, then the characters start coming alive. And then they tell you what to write.”

Aparna Sen (1945) Indian filmmaker, script writer and actress

Interview at the 10th Jagran Film Festival, JFF TALKIES Episode 4 - 16 Apr 2020, at 28 Min 15 Sec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exGQ7wUHhOI

“You don't write "God Save The Queen" because you hate the English race, you write a song like that because you love them; and you're fed up with them being mistreated.”

John Lydon (1956) English singer, songwriter, and musician

The Filth and the Fury (2000)

“If you write, you should write about the truth.”

Sebastian Gorka (1970) American politician

The War for America's Soul, ISBN 978-1-62157-940-3

“You don't need to wait for inspiration to write. It's easier to be inspired while writing that while not writing…”

Josip Novakovich (1956) Canadian writer

Source: Fiction Writer's Workshop

“You cannot write for children… They're much too complicated. You can only write books that are of interest to them.”

Maurice Sendak (1928–2012) American illustrator and writer of children's books

As quoted in Boston Globe interview (4 January 1987)

“You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”

Anne Lamott (1954) Novelist, essayist, memoirist, activist

Variant: You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should've behaved better.
Source: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

“Writers are there to write, not experience things. If you want to experience things, become a pirate or a Bookhunter. If you want to write, write. If you can't find the makings of a story inside yourself, you won't find them anywhere.”

Walter Moers book The City of Dreaming Books

Source: The City of Dreaming Books

“The golden rule of writing is to write what you care about. If you care about your topic, you'll do your best writing, and then you stand the best chance of really touching a reader in some way.”

Jerry Spinelli (1941) American children's writer

As quoted in Instructor, Vol. 103 (1992), p. 201

“You write while you are alive. You do not preserve them in alcohol until the moment you are ready to write about them.”

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Anaïs Nin 278

Related quotes

Related topics