101 Quotes by Lynn Coady

I still find the idea of a research-heavy or historical novel daunting. That's something I've had in mind for a while: like, would you research for a year and then start writing? I sit down, and I just don't know how to write it.

That's what fascinates me about these writers' retreats: You're in these small spaces with small groups of people, and all of the sudden, the spotlight is shining on you harder than it normally is.

I would just randomly blurt out things like, 'What if a man showed up today and was carrying an umbrella, but it wasn't raining?' Eventually, people started to call me weird.

Most don't live inside their heads as a writer does, having conversations with her own ideas.

You can catch a scent in the wind - an idea, or a concept - and follow it. You can delve into your subconscious and see what happens, in a way you just can't when you're writing a novel.

We allow ourselves to unclench when we're home with our families, which is one of the truly wonderful advantages of human intimacy.

When you're not sure your anger is justified, the thing to do is ask yourself exactly where it's coming from.

You don't need to have Asperger's to feel bewildered in a culture that relies so heavily on inconsequential chit-chat to grease the wheels of day-to-day life.

When writing sex scenes, there is often no pleasing anyone, except perhaps the writer herself.