Sheila Heti Quotes

I remember the first time I held my book, my first book in my hands. I cannot tell you how it moved me.

I grew up around books. When I first held the book and it was a substantive, tangible thing, and I thought of all the work that went into it, not just my work but everybody else's and the research and so forth, there's a sense of really have done something worthwhile.

I tend to push whatever is looking over my shoulder away when I am writing. It's once the box of books arrive that I say I'm going to be pilloried for this or that. But then you realize it's done, and there is nothing I can do. I'm proud of the book.

I think anyone can do a book if they want to, it's just timing- wise.

I never thought I'd write one book, let alone three. I'm absolutely delighted and every night, thank the good lord for spell check.

Making a book is a craft, like making a clock; it needs more than native wit to be an author.

With everything that I've done with YouTube and podcasts for so many years, it's been: you can record it, edit, and then upload that day. With the book and documentary, it's been such a longer process.

For several days after my first book was published, I carried it about in my pocket and took surreptitious peeps at it to make sure the ink had not faded.

I coauthored my first nonfiction book by the time I was 25. I have been involved in nonfiction documentaries, newspapers, TV and internet since that time.

I've never really thought of writing books. I've never thought about stories as a part of a collection.

It's quite highly possible that I have peaked. I mean, I just can't imagine what else I could do beyond this. It's really a bittersweet kind of feeling.

No one writes a great book every time out, or even a good book.

You apply the skills you use to produce your own book to make an anthology. Shaping. Rhythm.

You always want to go out there with the best book possible, so I listen to what my editors say, and even if they don't know how to fix it, I always seem to find a way. 'Trust Your Eyes' is the best book I've written, and I don't know if I can do any better.

There isn't an aspect of book creation I don't enjoy, and there has always been a book in my life to dream about or work on.

It's a very organic process, and it has a specific order to it. I love to write, and once you've written, then you arrange. After the arrangement, you record it, and then you tour it.

I became a connoisseur of that nasty thud a manuscript makes when it comes through the letter box.

YouTube is so quick and so instant, and you make a video, and you can upload it the same day, whereas with a book, you have to go through a lot of time and a lot of people and a lot of processes. So it was weird to sit down and work with other people on projects, because I'm so independent with YouTube.

I haven't done a book for about 3 or 4 years now.

Publishing in a way doesn't have a lot to do with writing, and writing doesn't have a lot to do with publishing.

Manuscript: something submitted in haste and returned at leisure.

Creating a book and creating a collection involve a lot of editing.

I don't reread my books after they're published, because it's agony.

I never felt like I had made it.

Making books is hard work. Some books are, of course, more demanding than others.