Laura van den Berg Quotes

When you write what you know, you stay in control. One of the first things I encourage my writing students to do is to lose control - say what they want to say, break structure.

Don't let anyone tell you there's only one way to write.

Probably when I was about 16 or 17 I started writing. I wouldn't call it poetry, even though I've referred to it as poetry a couple times. But I don't think that's right. It was more scribblings and stream of consciousness.

I prefer writing originals.

You can't learn to write in college. It's a very bad place for writers because the teachers always think they know more than you do - and they don't. They have prejudices. They may like Henry James, but what if you don't want to write like Henry James? They may like John Irving, for instance, who's the bore of all time.

As a writer, you have to first of all write what you want to. Listen to advice, by all means, but don't get bogged down in it.

When aspiring writers ask me about how they should target their writing, I tell them to pay no attention to that kind of thing. It will restrict you. You will end up falling into stereotypes in an effort to tailor your work toward a perceived genre category.

Writing was my route to creative expression, and I needed to write about the things that interested me.

Remember to write for yourself, not for a market and give yourself time to develop your own style, your own voice. It takes a lifetime. Enjoy it!

The secret is to write just anything, to dare to write just anything, because when you write just anything, you begin to say what is important.

I'm a writer, and I will write what I want to write.

I just write books, and I do it without any notion of what I should do or shouldn't do.

Young writers need to be encouraged to write - just write - with no restrictions on form, style or content.

The single best piece of advice I give to aspiring writers is to always write about things that they know. I suggest that they write about people and places and events and conflicts they are familiar with. That way their writing will be real and hopefully readers will respond to it. I try to take my own advice.

I don't write to a genre.

I'm often asked how I write books, but I don't think my approach is suitable for everyone. If I walked into a creative writing class, all I could say to them was 'I tend to make it up as I go along.' I'm not sure that's brilliant advice.

I don't know how I do it, but I've written about everything. I've written about my shoes.

What provides you with subject matter is your own language - and that's all.

I think anyone can write about anything that they have knowledge of and exposure to.

I always tell people, I never get writer's block because it's coming straight from my brain, like, real-life experiences. I'm like the news. I'm just reporting it for myself.

I feel you should be able to write about whatever you want.

You have to write what you know.

When I first started writing, I didn't write about scientists at all. I think I wanted a break from that part of my world.

Bad writing as a conscious goal is liberating for students: They are freed to be creative in a new and different way.

All fiction becomes autobiographical when the author has true talent.