David Bergen Quotes

David Bergen
David Bergen
Canadian Novelist
Born: Jan 14, 1957
Book Books Editor Me Writing You
Related authors: Claire Cameron Joy Fielding Margaret Atwood Mordecai Richler Rachel Cusk Robertson Davies Ruth Ozeki
A mentor, a 'teacher,' is like an editor. I absolutely value my editor, who is my teacher. David Bergen
Teacher Value Mentor Absolutely Like Editor Who
For me, when I 'discover' a story, there is a feeling of buoyancy and clarity, perhaps similar to early morning out on a prairie highway, when darkness lifts and reveals the outline of farmhouses and copses of trees in the distance. David Bergen
Morning Me Darkness Feeling Trees Distance Out Clarity Similar Outline Lifts Highway Perhaps Reveals Prairie Discover Story Early Early Morning
In my brief writing life, it means I am still lucky that I have at least one more novel to complete. I do not expect that a story will arrive just because it is time to write another novel. It doesn't happen that way. David Bergen
Life Time Writing Will Complete Way At Least One More Write Another Because Am Least Still Arrive Expect Just Just Because Happen Story Means Lucky Novel Brief
When I get moved to write a story, I don't question the story. I dive right in, and I try to ignore the voices that are chattering away at me: 'You can't do that', 'You shouldn't do that'. I just sort of leap and take a chance and go for it. David Bergen
Me You Try Dive Voices Write Chattering Take Take A Chance Leap Sort Go Go For It Question Get Just Moved Story Ignore Away Right Chance
That's the novelist's job: to peel back the layers and look underneath. David Bergen
Job Peel Back Layers Look Underneath Novelist
I always have a book that I use that somehow inspires my novels. David Bergen
Book Somehow Inspires Always Use Novels
What fascinates me as a writer is the stuff underneath, To me, what drives a novel is the curiosity behind the character and the depths that you want to find in that character. David Bergen
Character Me You Find Writer Drives Stuff Underneath Curiosity Behind Want Depths Fascinates Novel
One day, at my office, I wrote down some names and dates and notes, and I wrote a title, 'The Age of Despair,' and then some other 'Ages' - Innocence, God, Reason, Hope - and I wrote this as well: 'Woman, born in 1930, lives till the age of 80 or so, suffers depression, marries a car dealer, has children who grow up to confuse her.' David Bergen
Depression Hope God Day Woman Age Car Confuse Down Despair Innocence Other One Day Some Born Dates Names Wrote Well Dealer Till Up Office Children Title Notes Then Ages Reason Who Grow Grow Up Lives Suffers Her
I tend to push whatever is looking over my shoulder away when I am writing. It's once the box of books arrive that I say I'm going to be pilloried for this or that. But then you realize it's done, and there is nothing I can do. I'm proud of the book. David Bergen
You Book Writing Looking Whatever Nothing Books Once Say Tend Push Over Box Proud Am Arrive Done Going Realize Then Shoulder Away
As a writer, I'm always aware of the fact that there are so many books out there. David Bergen
Books Out Fact Writer Always Many Aware
You are only as good as your last book, and so there has to be a book. David Bergen
Good You Book Only Your Last
Every year, the Giller jury is different. You write the best book you can and throw it out there. David Bergen
Best You Book Year Every Out Throw Write Jury Different
As a writer, you write the book, you give it to your editor, it's copy edited, it's published, it's thrown out there, and then there's a response. David Bergen
You Book Out Response Give Write Writer Thrown Edited Editor Then Your There And Then Published Copy
I like characters who are contradictory. David Bergen
Characters Like Contradictory Who
An editor is an accomplice, looking in from the outside. That objective view is essential. We don't write in a vacuum, and we don't publish in a vacuum. David Bergen
Looking Publish Objective Write Outside Editor Accomplice Essential View Vacuum
Books in general are great, but I'm a fiction lover, and I will continue to do it. David Bergen
Great Will Lover Books General Continue Fiction
Invite characters of surprising and moral character, or at least those who grapple with what is right or those who make decisions that shock. David Bergen
Character Those Characters Moral Moral Character Invite Make Least Surprising Shock Decisions Who Right
The IMPAC is a terribly important award. David Bergen
Important Terribly Award
The first accepted piece of writing is the most exciting. No other publishing experience matches it. Perhaps jaundice sets in, or expectations are raised, or one starts to think that one is better than is the truth. David Bergen
Truth Experience Writing Better First Think Sets Starts Other Exciting Perhaps Most Piece Accepted Matches Than Expectations Publishing Raised
The story wrote quickly. I called it 'Where You're From,' and I sent it out, as I had numerous other stories over the years. Except this time I got a letter back saying that it would be published. Someone out there had liked the story. I was thirty-one years old. David Bergen
Saying Time You Old Numerous Other Back Out Would Would-Be Someone Except Had Over Liked Wrote Got Years Quickly Where Stories Story Sent Letter Published

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