The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives.
Roald DahlRead
By the time I am nearing the end of a story, the first part will have been reread and altered and corrected at least one hundred and fifty times. I am suspicious of both facility and speed. Good writing is essentially rewriting. I am positive of this.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Good writing requires extensive revision and is not accomplished quickly.
Roald Dahl emphasizes the importance of rewriting in the writing process. He suggests that true mastery and quality in writing come not from initial drafts or rapid composition, but from the meticulous effort to refine, alter, and enhance one's work through multiple revisions.
Themes
WritingRevisionQualityCraftProcess
In practice
Example use cases
An aspiring author may use this quote to emphasize the need for revision in their writing workshop.
More from Roald Dahl
All quotes →Matilda said, "Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable.
Roald DahlRead
I asked my mum, who's a very clever psychotherapist, and she says that kids love stories about death; they need it, they need to have stories that deal with death and explain it, as a place to put their fears.
Roald DahlRead
You seemed so far away," Miss Honey whispered, awestruck. "Oh, I was. I was flying past the stars on silver wings," Matilda said. "It was wonderful.
Roald DahlRead
If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.
Roald DahlRead
I don't care if a reader hates one of my stories, just as long as he finishes the book.
Roald DahlRead
Similar quotes
Wit can be beautiful, because it expresses and distills an idea.
Stephen FryRead
Music is love searching for a word.
Sidney LanierRead
Through music I either tame my demons or unleash them and allow them to be what they are. I don't want the music to be about provocation, I want the music to bring you to a place where you feel at home
Michael FrantiRead
The music comes through me, and I let it come the way it comes, and it shapes itself. I just hold space for it. I don't intend to write it for a purpose, but it comes as it comes and am proud of the way it can support change because I believe strongly in what I sing about.
Xavier RuddRead
I hope that there are many more women out there writing bits of feminist sci-fi. And men, also - men are allowed to write feminist things.
Naomi AldermanRead
I never try to convey a message, I just want to tell a story. Why that story in particular? I have no idea, but I have learned to surrender to the muse. I become obsessed with a theme or with certain stories; they haunt me for years, and finally, I write them.
Isabel AllendeRead