Margaret Atwood Quotes

From a very early age, perhaps the age of five or six, I knew that when I grew up I should be a writer. Between the ages of about seventeen and twenty-four I tried to abandon this idea, but I did so with the consciousness that I was outraging my true nature and that sooner or later I should have to settle down and write books.

I don't think I'm any competition to the already-existing canon of writers in Kannada. How can I ever even think of comparing myself?

O God, let me write books! Please, God, let me write books!

The books I haven't written are better than the books other people have.

I always wanted to be a writer since I was around 12 years old and I wrote my first book.

People who are cocky and arrogant say, 'I know that' and move along. People who are confident and positive ask themselves,' How good am I at that?' and seek to improve

I've been very lucky. There were times when I was afraid I would never sell another book, but I never doubted I'd write another book.

I can't believe some of the things I did.Can't believe it. Sayin' I was the greatest and the beautifulist and I was gonna whup this guy and that guy, sayin' I'm pretty, I can't be beat.

I doubt about myself. I think doubts are good in life. The people who don't have doubts I think only two things-arrogance or not intelligence.

When you think you're right, you're most likely wrong.

I didn’t do anything. I don’t have an explanation, I don’t know why I wanted to write. I did some short stories at that time, but very infrequently. I quit my job just to quit. I didn’t quit my job to write fiction. I just didn’t want to work anymore

I would willingly pass my life writing and re-writing the same book - that one book every writer carries within him - the image of his own soul.

Most books germinate within you for a long time before they are ready to come out. I wrote several drafts of the novel over many years and when I finally got to the last one, it didn't take much time.

I don't speak German well but several experts have assured me that I write it like an angel. Maybe so, maybe so- I don't know. I've not yet made any acquaintances among the angels. That comes later, whenever it please the Deity. I'm not in any hurry.

I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It.

To this day, if you ask me how I became a writer, I cannot give you an answer. To this day, if you ask me how a book is written, I cannot answer. For long periods, if I didn't know that somehow in the past I had written a book, I would have given up.

I never really thought I'd be successful. I never though I'd get books published, but this was something completely beyond me. The fact that it happened is wonderful, but it is not something that I was aiming for.

It never occurred to me when I was young that I could be an author. That would be like saying, "I want to be a movie star" or "I want to be a wizard." I didn't have any concept of what that path would look like. Maybe that's why I didn't publish my first book until I was 38.

And the only people I fear are those who never have doubts... Save us all from arrogant men, and all the causes they're for.

... as usual I am suffering much from doubt as to the worth of what I am doing and fear lest I may not be able to complete it so as to make it a contribution to literature and not a mere addition to the heap of books.

If you're anything like me there are days when you're convinced you know more than everyone around you. Which is often confirmed by your interactions with people.

From my earliest years I had always wanted to be a writer. It was not that I had any particular message for humanity. I am still plugging away and not the ghost of one so far, so it begins to look as though, unless I suddenly hit mid-season form in my eighties, humanity will remain a message short.

So I'm back again to the eternal question, the one that has plagued me all my life: How Do Other People Do It? How come they were given life's rule book and I missed out? Where was I when God was dispensing capability and cop on? Looking at shoes, probably.

My family's the best so to call and say, 'I'm in a movie with Robin Williams,' and they're like, 'That's ridiculous.' And I'm like, 'Good, as long as you think that, too.' Because as soon as you say, 'I deserve this,' it's over."

I considered calmly that I was born to write.