While most of the things you've worried about have never happened, it's a different story with the things you haven't worried about. They are the ones that happen.
Ruth RendellRead
I have an idea, and I have a perpetrator, and I write the book along those lines, and when I get to the last chapter, I change the perpetrator so that if I can deceive myself, I can deceive the reader.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the creative process of writing and the intentional use of deception in storytelling.
In this quote, Ruth Rendell explores the intricacies of the writing process, particularly the element of surprise in narrative structure. By manipulating the identity of the perpetrator until the last chapter, the author emphasizes the duality of both self-deception and reader deception, highlighting how a well-crafted story can alter perceptions and expectations, engaging both the writer and the reader in a deeper literary experience.
Themes
WritingDeceptionNarrativeStorytellingCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
During a workshop on creative writing, one might share this quote to illustrate the importance of plot twists.
More from Ruth Rendell
All quotes →I always know when a novel is going to be a Barbara Vine one. In fact I believe that if I weren't to write it as Barbara Vine, I wouldn't be able to write it at all.
Ruth RendellRead
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