They're ugly, but those are the facts of life.
Harper LeeRead
Any writer worth his salt writes to please himself...It's a self-exploratory operation that is endless. An exorcism of not necessarily his demon, but of his divine discontent.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writers write for their own satisfaction, using the process as a way to explore themselves and address their inner struggles.
Harper Lee emphasizes that true writers create not just to entertain others but primarily to fulfill their own artistic needs and aspirations. This writing process allows them to delve into their personal experiences and emotions, reflecting a perpetual journey of self-discovery and expression that can be both cathartic and revealing.
Themes
WritingSelf-ExplorationArtDiscontentCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can inspire aspiring authors at a writing workshop.
More from Harper Lee
All quotes →It's better to be silent than to be a fool.
Harper LeeRead
Don’t talk like that, Dill,” said Aunt Alexandra. “It’s not becoming to a child. It’s – cynical.” “I ain’t cynical, Miss Alexandra. Tellin’ the truth’s not cynical, is it?” “The way you tell it, it is.
Harper LeeRead
With him, life was routine; without him, life was unbearable.
Harper LeeRead
He turned out the light and went into Jem's room. He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning.
Harper LeeRead
You can choose your friends but you sho' can't choose your family, an' they're still kin to you no matter whether you acknowledge 'em or not, and it makes you look right silly when you don't.
Harper LeeRead
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We're all born storytellers. It's part of the species. But, more specifically, I suppose a particular combination of sensitivity and trauma made me a writer: an essential disquiet with reality, which required exploration through portrayal.
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