The more research you do, the more at ease you are in the world you're writing about. It doesn't encumber you, it makes you free.
A. S. ByattRead
If a novelist tells you something she knows or thinks, and you believe her, that is not because either of you think she is God, but because she is doing her work - as a novelist.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A novelist's truth is rooted in their craft, not in divinity.
This quote highlights the idea that the connection and belief readers have with a novelist's work stem from the author's authentic representation of their knowledge and thoughts through storytelling. It emphasizes the role of the novelist as a professional creator rather than a divine figure, suggesting that the value of their work is in their dedication to craft and the truth they convey through it.
Themes
NovelistTruthCraftStorytellingAuthenticity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of literature, one might use this quote to emphasize the value of the author's perspective.
More from A. S. Byatt
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Why do we take pleasure in gruesome death, neatly packaged as a puzzle to which we may find a satisfactory solution through clues - or if we are not clever enough, have it revealed by the all-powerful tale-teller at the end of the book? It is something to do with being reduced to, and comforted by, playing by the rules.
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Never stop paying attention to things. Never make your mind up finally. Do not hold beliefs.
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Only write to me, write to me, I love to see the hop and skip and sudden starts of your ink.
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I am a creature of my pen. My pen is the best of me.
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