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Alexander McCall Smith Quotes
Alexander McCall Smith Quotes
Alexander McCall Smith
Scottish
Writer
Born:
Aug 24
,
1948
Life
Me
People
Sense
World
You
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Manners are the basic building blocks of civil society.
Alexander McCall Smith
Building
Manners
Society
Civil
Civil Society
Building Blocks
Blocks
Basic
As a writer, you have to realize that people want to like the characters, so you have to be careful to keep them involved.
Alexander McCall Smith
You
People
Characters
Be Careful
Writer
Like
Involved
Want
Them
Realize
Keep
Careful
The Okavango Delta is an astonishing sight: the great Okavango River, rather than flow towards the sea, flows inland, into the sands of the Kalahari.
Alexander McCall Smith
Great
Astonishing
Sight
Rather
River
Delta
Towards
Than
Sands
Sea
Inland
Flow
Flows
Baboons take a bit of getting to know but, apparently, once you break the ice, so to speak, they are complex and interesting creatures with elaborate societies.
Alexander McCall Smith
You
Speak
Once
Bit
Complex
Take
Know
Getting
Break
Ice
Elaborate
Interesting
Apparently
Creatures
Societies
I am capable of being idle.
Alexander McCall Smith
Idle
Am
Being
Capable
Oh I love gadgets and I pride myself on keeping at the cutting edge of technology.
Alexander McCall Smith
Love
Myself
Technology
Gadgets
Pride
Edge
Oh
Cutting
Cutting Edge
Keeping
The wider your readership, the greater the chances of offending your readers.
Alexander McCall Smith
Readers
Readership
Greater
Offending
Your
Wider
Chances
Well, I'd say all of us are a combination of moods and emotions. In my day to day life I don't go around skipping, but at times one can feel sheer exhilarating joy at the world.
Alexander McCall Smith
Life
Day
Emotions
Joy
World
Say
Moods
Day-To-Day
Feel
Combination
Well
Sheer
Around
Go
Exhilarating
Times
Us
Skipping
That my philosophy of life is, as far as possible, one of enjoyment. I'm not nihilistic.
Alexander McCall Smith
Life
Philosophy
Possible
As Far As
Far
Enjoyment
Any author of fiction will tell you that characters don't need to be told what to do.
Alexander McCall Smith
You
Will
Tell
Characters
Author
Any
Fiction
Need
Serial novels have an unexpected effect; they hook the writer as well as the reader.
Alexander McCall Smith
Hook
Writer
Well
Reader
Effect
Unexpected
Serial
Novels
But you cannot expect every writer to dwell on human suffering. I think my books do deal with grave issues. People who say they are too positive probably haven't read them.
Alexander McCall Smith
Positive
You
Suffering
People
Every
Think
Too
Books
Say
Writer
Read
Deal
Issues
Expect
Human
Dwell
Cannot
Them
Who
Human Suffering
Grave
Every novel presents a slice of life. A noir policier for example presents one slice, one that perhaps addresses social dysfunction or some sort of pathology, while mine present a slice that is more upbeat and affirmative.
Alexander McCall Smith
Life
Example
Every
Slice
Address
Mine
Some
More
Noir
For Example
Perhaps
Sort
Affirmative
Upbeat
Pathology
While
Dysfunction
Social
Novel
Present
Presents
I think people in Botswana are pleased that my books paint a positive picture of their lives and portray the country as being very special. They've made a great success of their country, and the people are fed up with the constant reporting of only the problems and poverty of the continent. They welcome something which puts the positive side.
Alexander McCall Smith
Positive
Success
Great
Welcome
People
Problems
Made
Poverty
Picture
Country
Think
Side
Books
Pleased
Constant
Something
Only
Fed
Fed Up
Puts
Great Success
Continent
Up
Very
Reporting
Being
Which
Special
Paint
Lives
Portray
I'm interested in character and dialogue and exchange of ideas.
Alexander McCall Smith
Character
Exchange
Ideas
Dialogue
Interested
Many of my books are written from a female perspective. I rather enjoy the take that women have on the world, and certainly I enjoy the conversations that women have.
Alexander McCall Smith
Women
World
Perspective
Enjoy
Books
Rather
Take
Written
Female
Conversations
Certainly
Many
I've also long since realized that the way to really engage children is to give out prizes; it's amazing how it concentrates their minds.
Alexander McCall Smith
Amazing
Long
Minds
Way
Out
Give
Since
Also
How
Prizes
Children
Realized
Really
Engage
Writing fiction, I really just sit there and it just comes.
Alexander McCall Smith
Writing
Sit
Just
Fiction
Really
Writers obviously have to bear witness to the harsh face of the age.
Alexander McCall Smith
Age
Witness
Face
Harsh
Bear
Writers
Obviously
Fiction is able to encompass books that are bleak and which dwell on the manifold and terrible problems of our times. But I don't think that all books need to have that particular focus.
Alexander McCall Smith
Problems
Focus
Think
Our
Books
Able
Bleak
Particular
Terrible
Encompass
Times
Dwell
Fiction
Which
Manifold
Need
My Botswana books are positive, and I've never really sought to deny that. They are positive. They present a very positive picture of the country. And I think that that is perfectly defensible given that there is so much written about Africa which is entirely negative.
Alexander McCall Smith
Positive
Negative
Picture
Country
Think
Books
About
Entirely
Given
Never
Written
Perfectly
Sought
Very
Deny
Africa
Which
Much
Really
Present
Botswana is actually very peaceful. It's democratic. It never was in debt. They've been fortunate, they've had diamonds.
Alexander McCall Smith
Never
Had
Democratic
Diamonds
Been
Debt
Very
Fortunate
Peaceful
Actually
As a writer, I have readers who will have a range of political views. I don't think they look to me for political guidance.
Alexander McCall Smith
Me
Guidance
Political
Will
Think
Range
Writer
Look
Readers
Political Views
Views
Who
If you lose sight of the smaller accomplishments, you end up with an imbalance in your life.
Alexander McCall Smith
Life
You
Lose
Imbalance
Sight
Smaller
Accomplishments
End
Up
Your
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