Kevin Brockmeier Quotes

I had to detach myself from myself, if that makes any sense, to conjure an authentic first-person voice. In that sense, it was similar to writing a first-person novel. But I was writing about real people, not fictional ones - myself, my family, my friends and boyfriends and ex-husband, and that was extremely tricky.

I think at the age of 50, everyone should write their own autobiography.

Writing a memoir has a particularly excited sense of narcissism.

I can't remember a time when I wasn't trying to get something down on paper.

There may be a point where I may decide to write an autobiography.

Not to be too 'Tale of Two Cities' about it, but I find writing a memoir easier than writing fiction, and more difficult.

It's actually easier to do autobiographical stories. The story is already there. It's a matter of carving away what doesn't fit rather than building up from nothing.

It took me 14 years to write 'Crazy Brave' because I kept changing the form and I also kept running away from the story. I said I don't really want to write about myself. But it's about writing about memory.

When it was suggested that I write a memoir I said, 'I'm not old enough. I'm not distinguished enough.' But I went home and sat down to write, and the material for the book just came flooding into my hands.

The easiest thing to write was 'Fever Pitch' because it was a memoir.

I wrote the first draft of 'Plan B' the summer after I turned 21.

I don't think my husband has any plans to pen his memoirs. There are enough people doing that for him.

With memoir, you have the clay of your life to work with. When you're writing a novel, you have to make the clay first.

I think, in writing a memoir, you kind of give order to your life.

I was attempting to write the story of my life. It wasn't so much about plot. It was much more about character.

It is with a kind of fear that I begin to write the history of my life.

I never thought I would write an autobiography, probably because my first novel, Go Now, is really all drawn from my life, even though it's more about the psychology going on.

I'm writing my biography. It's my business. This is what happened in my life, and I'm writing about it.

Writing is like paying myself a formal visit.

I don't read memoirs. But if you write a memoir, I would think you'd want people to know, "O.K., look, I've taken some liberties here." It's just a matter of being open with your readers.

Somebody said, "Well, you're going to write your definitive book about your life, biography." No, I'm not. I haven't done that. I wrote a book of letters which gives an insight into the real me as opposed to the public perceptions of me. But I'm convinced historians will figure out the things we got wrong and hopefully the things we got right.

I have begun writing what I have said I'd never write, a memoir ("I am not my own subject," I used to say with icy superiority).

I dislike modern memoirs. They are generally written by people who have either entirely lost their memories, or have never done anything worth remembering.

The urge to write one's autobiography, so I have been told, overtakes everyone sooner or later.

It actually took me 20 years to want to write about my youth. I was definitely always a little intimidated about writing about that part of my life.