42 Quotes by Tawni O'Dell

My experience growing up in a rough and tumble town in the blue-collar world of Western Pennsylvania in the 1970s was that anything a man did was always more important than anything a woman did.

My mind is constantly creating and searching, but I can't make myself put the right words on paper until I'm ready. Once I'm ready, I'm a focused, disciplined writer who will put in twelve hours a day at the computer, but I also spend a lot of time away from the computer getting to that point.

When I begin writing, I have no idea what my novels are ultimately going to be about. I don't have a plot. I never consider a theme. I don't make notes or outlines.

Writing an essay is like a school assignment: I have my topic, I organize my thoughts, and I write it. I have complete control over what I'm doing. Writing a novel is like setting out on a journey without knowing who or what I'll encounter, how long it's going to take, or where I'm going to end up.

I've decided that the worst part of loneliness isn't being alone. It's being forgotten.

Never give up on your dream...Perseverance is all important. If you don't have the desire and the belief in yourself to keep trying after you've been told you should quit, you'll never make it.

I’ve decided that the worst part of loneliness isn’t being alone. It’s being forgotten.

They were like English teachers who took the fun out of a perfectly good book by breaking it down into themes and sentence structures.

She hated her job the same way I hated my jobs because she knew she was worth more, but she also hated herself so there wasn’t much point in trying to do better.