Was it always my nature to take a bad time and block out the good times, until any success became an accident and failure seemed the only truth?
Lillian HellmanRead
They're fancy talkers about themselves, writers. If I had to give young writers advice, I would say don't listen to writers talking about writing or themselves.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writers should focus on their own work rather than getting caught up in the opinions of other writers.
Lillian Hellman's quote emphasizes the importance of individual expression and the risk of being influenced by others in a field that thrives on personal perspective. She advises young writers to concentrate on their unique voice and experiences instead of being distracted by the discussions surrounding writing or writer personas, which may lead them away from their authentic creativity.
Themes
WritingCreativityAdviceInspirationAuthenticity
In practice
Example use cases
In a writing workshop, to encourage participants to trust their voices.
More from Lillian Hellman
All quotes →If I had to give young writers advice, I would say don't listen to writers talking about writing or themselves.
Lillian HellmanRead
It is best to act with confidence, no matter how little right you have to it.
Lillian HellmanRead
If you believe, as the Greeks did, that man is at the mercy of the gods, then you write tragedy. The end is inevitable from the beginning. But if you believe that man can solve his own problems and is at nobody's mercy, then you will probably write melodrama.
Lillian HellmanRead
Nobody knows what you want except you. And nobody will be as sorry as you if you don't get it. Wanting some other way to live is proof enough of deserving it. Having it is hard work, but not having it is sheer hell.
Lillian HellmanRead
Failure in the theater is more dramatic and uglier than any other form of writing. It costs so much, you feel so guilty.
Lillian HellmanRead
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