Quotes by Donald Ray Pollock

Donald Ray Pollock

[Degree in English] gave me a little more self-confidence, to know that I’d managed to complete something like that.

Degrees

Littles

Self Confidence

A lot of people get the wrong impression, think there’s something romantic or tragic about hitting bottom.

Hitting Bottom

People

Thinking

As for how I feel about any success I’ve had, I just feel extremely lucky. Writing is a tough racket, and there are a lot of writers out there better than me who can’t seem to catch a break.

Lucky

Tough

Writing

For example, if it’s a sad scene, I need to feel that way, at least to a slight degree and for a short while, to get it right. Which is why I sometimes listen to music when I’m revising. Music creates moods for me quicker than any other medium.

Degrees

Example

Needs

I didn’t feel that so much as an outsider when I started writing; I’ve felt that way all my life. I don’t know, man; I guess I was just wired wrong. When I was growing up, I always wanted to be somebody else and live somewhere else. I’ve always felt a little uncomfortable around people. And I’m not trying to romanticize this, because it wasn’t romantic. I wasn’t trying to be a rebel; I just always felt a little out of it. I think that’s why it’s pretty easy for me to identify with people living on the margins.

Growing Up

Men

Writing

I do believe the world is a pretty sad, troubled, and violent place. Maybe that’s why I focus on the trouble. Even though there are good people and good things, there’s also a bunch of messed up stuff. And I learned early on, you have to have some trouble in your stories. I definitely go overboard on that, but I have a lot more fun writing about the trouble.

Believe

Fun

Writing

I do think they [French] view my writing itself as exotic – though that’s probably not the best term for it – to a small extent, mainly because I say things that most French writers would probably hesitate to say for fear of offending someone or upsetting public sensibilities. I don’t think that answers the question, but I’m not much good at figuring readers out or I would probably be writing bestsellers.

Thinking

Views

Writing

I don’t really think the outburst is recent; there have always been writers in Appalachia.

Appalachia

Outburst

Thinking

I don’t think I’d call [mood] a major force, but it is important as far as hitting the right notes or nuances with a character or scene.

Character

Important

Thinking

I don’t think my book is any more shocking than if I went out right now and brought back your local newspaper and found a story that happened around here yesterday or the day before that’s just as shocking as anything in my book.

Book

Thinking

Yesterday

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Adults

Age

Agony

America

Anthology

Appalachia

Art

Believe

Bigs

Blessed

Book

Born

Bully

Buried

Cartoon

Character

Class

College

Common Sense

Country

Couple

Crime

Crime Novels

Darkness

Degrees

Dog

Dream

Editors

Eight

Example

Exercise

Father

Fiction

Fifty

Flower

Fun

Gifted Writers

Girl

Giving Up

Good Life

Growing Up

Guy

Hair

Hard Times

Hate

Heard

Hitting Bottom

Home

Ideas

Important

The Future Blueprint

Tool

The Home Therapist: Anti Anxiety

Tool

The Autobiography

Tool

The Behaviour Diary

Tool

The Dating Diary

Tool

The Relationship Therapist

Tool

Quotes by Donald Ray Pollock

Donald Ray Pollock

[Degree in English] gave me a little more self-confidence, to know that I’d managed to complete something like that.

A lot of people get the wrong impression, think there’s something romantic or tragic about hitting bottom.

As for how I feel about any success I’ve had, I just feel extremely lucky. Writing is a tough racket, and there are a lot of writers out there better than me who can’t seem to catch a break.

For example, if it’s a sad scene, I need to feel that way, at least to a slight degree and for a short while, to get it right. Which is why I sometimes listen to music when I’m revising. Music creates moods for me quicker than any other medium.

I don’t really think the outburst is recent; there have always been writers in Appalachia.

I don’t think I’d call [mood] a major force, but it is important as far as hitting the right notes or nuances with a character or scene.

I don’t think my book is any more shocking than if I went out right now and brought back your local newspaper and found a story that happened around here yesterday or the day before that’s just as shocking as anything in my book.

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Topics by Donald Ray Pollock

Popular Tools

The Future Blueprint

The Home Therapist: Anti Anxiety

The Autobiography

The Behaviour Diary

The Dating Diary

The Relationship Therapist

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