Margaret Mahy Quotes

I'm a writer who likes to be influenced.

All writers are magpies, right? We're always stealing bits from different places and then weaving them into our little nest.

Nothing really came, everything was like inspired by something.

The hardest part is not to repeat yourself. I don't really believe my core obsessions are going to change, but you need to look for ways to express them that are different. The main reason for doing that is not to bore yourself, and obviously, I don't want to bore readers.

Stories come to me and I don't know where they come from, but afterwards I can look back and say, 'Oh yes, that's got a little bit of me, or a little bit of my own son in it'. That's where ideas come from.

Having imagination it takes you an hour to write a paragraph that if you were unimaginative would take you only a minute.

I want to do nothing chic, I want to have ideas before beginning a piece.

Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.

It's not enough to tell people to be creative; they need to know how, and what to create.

As a creative person, you want to start with a blank canvas.

I don't think I really invented anybody. I have drawn on real life.

For years, I was watching other people have so much fun playing out their version of authorship, like Louis C.K. and Larry David. As I watched them do their thing, I began to pine for the days when I had a lot less expected of me and, often, a lot more creative freedom. The courage that those guys have is always captivating to me.

There are no rules and regulations for perfect composition. If there were we would be able to put all the information into a computer and would come out with a masterpiece. We know that's impossible. You have to compose by the seat of your pants.

You cannot possibly invent painting all by yourself.

If I'm writing something and I'm not feeling mischievous, then I know it's not going to be great.

If I don't have a model in front of me, I don't have an idea.

I'm always having ideas. I'd like to continue being able to realise the ideas I have.

A theory of creativity is actually just a metaphor. A pool of ideas, a well of memories, a voice.

I always start from scratch with a character - they're never based on anyone else. You get ideas of what people look like, and I'm a great people watcher. You can draw inspiration from people.

The day I run out of ideas is the day I stop making records.

For a while, I felt a little self-impelled to write Lou Reed Kind of songs. I should have understood that a Lou Reed song was anything I wanted to write about.

I've always been creative, I think.

I'm always creative.

That's the buzz for me, the creative process. An idea is never as good as when it's in your head. And then it's just how little you ruin it.

If I have a talent, it lies in the creative process.