We would not have been a successful family without my father and stepfather, who were working-class men with better dreams for their children. We just wore them out.
James McbrideRead
Writing for me is cutting out the fat and getting to the meaning.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The essence of writing is to eliminate unnecessary details and focus on core meanings.
In this quote, James McBride emphasizes the importance of clarity and conciseness in writing. He suggests that effective writing involves scrutinizing and removing superfluous elements to reveal the true meaning of the message. By 'cutting out the fat,' a writer can create a piece that resonates more deeply with readers, helping them understand the fundamental truths or emotions being conveyed.
Themes
WritingClarityMeaningSimplicityExpression
In practice
Example use cases
In a workshop on creative writing, I used this quote to emphasize the importance of editing.
More from James Mcbride
All quotes βI felt like a Tinker toy kid building my own self out of one of those toy building sets; for as she laid her life before me, I reassembled the tableau of her words like a picture puzzle, and as I did, so my own life was rebuilt.
James McbrideRead
Sometimes it seemed like the truth was a bandy-legged soul who dashed from one side of the world to the other and I could never find him.
James McbrideRead
I'm trying to get Americans to see that we're all pretty much the same. I believe it; I was taught God doesn't have a color. I want to better the planet a little bit.
James McbrideRead
It would be nice if we redefined what we meant by 'war story.' If you're making $15,000 a year living in a certain area of Portland, trying to make it with three kids and no husband, that's a kind of war.
James McbrideRead
When my mother left home, her family sat shivah for her, more because my father was not Jewish than because he was black.
James McbrideRead
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