As to the number of novels I've abandoned... I shudder to think. I have thrown away five completed novels, and that's a gruesome enough figure. But not necessarily a waste of effort.
Mark HaddonRead
Writing for children is bloody difficult; books for children are as complex as their adult counterparts, and they should therefore be accorded the same respect.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writing for children is challenging and requires the same level of respect as writing for adults.
In this quote, Mark Haddon emphasizes the complexity involved in writing children's literature, arguing that it requires skill and depth similar to that of adult books. He advocates for recognizing children's books as serious works that deserve respect, highlighting the notion that children's literature should not be underestimated or simplified compared to literature intended for adults.
Themes
WritingChildrenLiteratureRespectComplexity
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at a literary festival, an author might use this quote to emphasize the importance of children's literature.
More from Mark Haddon
All quotes →At twenty life was like wrestling an octopus. Every moment mattered. At thirty it was a walk in the country. Most of the time your mind was somewhere else. By the time you got to seventy, it was probably like watching snooker on the telly.
Mark HaddonRead
And Father said, "Christopher, do you understand that I love you?" And I said "Yes," because loving someone is helping them when they get into trouble, and looking after them, and telling them the truth, and Father looks after me when I get into trouble, like coming to the police station, and he looks after me by cooking meals for me, and he always tells me the truth, which means that he loves me.
Mark HaddonRead
From a good book, I want to be taken to the very edge. I want a glimpse into that outer darkness.
Mark HaddonRead
And I know I can do this because I went to London on my own, and because I solved the mystery…and I was brave and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything.
Mark HaddonRead
At 20, 25, 30, we begin to realise that the possibilities of escape are getting fewer. We have jobs, children, partners, debts. This is the part of us to which literary fiction speaks.
Mark HaddonRead
Similar quotes
I've learned that education, experience, and memories are three things that no one can take away from you.
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.Read
I think in YA there's sometimes a temptation to create heroines who are infinitely resilient and wise and confident because those are the behaviors we want to see teens embrace and maybe we want to see those things in ourselves.
Leigh BardugoRead
Going back to my film education, I always have that voice in my head that's always screaming, 'Sell out!' And that's good: you want that, because it keeps you on your toes, and it's important to remember what's actually important.
Damien ChazelleRead
Every maker of video games knows something that the makers of curriculum don't seem to understand. You'll never see a video game being advertised as being easy. Kids who do not like school will tell you it's not because it's too hard. It's because it's--boring
Seymour PapertRead
Our global future depends on the willingness of every nation to invest in its people, especially women and children.
Hillary ClintonRead
The things that have been most valuable to me I did not learn in school.
Will SmithRead