52 Irvine Welsh Quotes for You to Enjoy

Irvine Welsh

Scottish Novelist

Born: Sep 27, 1961

Me People Think Time Writing You

Related authors: Dorothy Dunnett George MacDonald Joan Lingard Kenneth Grahame Muriel Spark Walter Scott

I'd always liked to read, but when I picked up books I wasn't getting the same kind of excitement from them that I was from going out clubbing. I wanted to get the same kind of feel. Irvine Welsh

Books Out Kind Picked Excitement Feel Liked Read Always Up Get Same Getting Going Wanted Clubbing Them

When I'm not writing, I read loads of fiction, but I've been writing quite constantly lately so I've been reading a lot of nonfiction - philosophy, religion, science, history, social or cultural studies. Irvine Welsh

Religion History Science Writing Reading Lately Philosophy Constantly Studies Read Nonfiction Been Cultural Lot Quite Fiction Social Loads

I know when I go and see a writer, the first thing I think to myself is, 'Are they the character in the book?' You just can't help it; it's the way people are. Irvine Welsh

Myself Character You Book People First Think Way See Writer Know First Thing Go The First Thing Just Help Thing

When I left school at 16, I became an apprentice television and radio technician, and was paid £17 a week, which was decent money in 1976. But the job turned sour when I gave myself an electric shock while repairing a television set. Irvine Welsh

Myself Money School Job Gave Apprentice Television Television Set Week Became Repairing Sour Left Shock Decent Which While Turned Paid Electric Radio Technician Set

There's something about the modern era where it's very hard to transgress - we're all so online, easier to track by mobile phone - so you have people who do it on your behalf. Irvine Welsh

You People Phone Easier About Something Online Track Era Mobile Very Behalf Modern Modern Era Where Transgress Your Hard Who

I think young writers should get other degrees first, social sciences, arts degrees or even business degrees. What you learn is research skills, a necessity because a lot of writing is about trying to find information. Irvine Welsh

You Business Writing First Young Research Think Other Find Degrees About Writers Learn Because Sciences Lot Get Trying Arts Graduation Information Social Young Writers Should Skills Social Sciences Even Necessity

I'm working on a screenplay right now for the BBC, but I hope to have the decks cleared soon so I can get into the studio with my pals and put down some more tracks, try to get a strong dance single together. Irvine Welsh

Sometimes there's a snobbery among literary types that these people don't really get it, but in a lot of ways they get it more than the literati. There's a culture in the background that they understand and know. They get that deeper level. Irvine Welsh

Culture People Sometimes Snobbery Types Background Ways More Know Understand Lot Than Get Literary Really Deeper Deeper Level Among Level

The first job of a writer is to be honest. Irvine Welsh

Job First To Be Honest Writer First Job Honest

When I started off with Trainspotting, it was the way the characters came to me. That's how they sounded to me. It seemed pretentious to sound any other way. I wasn't making any kind of political statement. Irvine Welsh

Me Political Pretentious Other Statement Way Characters Kind Seemed How Making Sound Came Off Political Statement Any Any Other Way Started

Writing is about culture and should be about everything. That's what makes it what it is. Irvine Welsh

Culture Writing Everything About Makes Should

It's different in Scotland. People who come to readings are more interested in literature as such, but the readership in general is really quite diverse. It's a cliche, but it's said that people who read my books don't read any other books, and you do get that element. Irvine Welsh

You People Other Books Diverse General More Come Read Cliche Readership Readings Said Scotland Get Any Quite Different Literature Interested Really Who Element

I don't want everything to be flowery perfection. I like it there to be a charge behind it, you know? Irvine Welsh

You Everything Charge Perfection Like Know Behind Want Flowery

I just want to get on and tell stories. Irvine Welsh

Tell Get Just Want Stories

I tried to write 'Trainspotting' in standard English, but people weren't talking like that. Irvine Welsh

People Tried Write Like Talking Were Standard English

I left Edinburgh to follow the London punk scene in 1978, singing and playing guitar in various bands. My income was sporadic, so I did anything to eke out some kind of subsistence - laying down slabs, working as a kitchen porter. Irvine Welsh

Guitar Punk Singing Down Out Kind Follow London Some Scene Various Kitchen Laying Edinburgh Left Bands Did Subsistence Anything Working Income Porter Playing

Everybody in my family were great storytellers. My dad and his brothers would just go on and on; they could tell amazing stories. I think it was something to do with the Celtic, oral storytelling tradition. People very much had that propensity towards telling tales. Irvine Welsh

Great Family People Amazing Think Everybody Tell Telling Would Brothers Propensity Something Could Had Towards Tales Tradition Go Were His Very Oral Celtic Just Stories Storytellers Storytelling Much Dad

The idea is not enough. And the most annoying thing for me as a writer is that people will come up to me and say, 'Hey, I've got a great idea for a book. I'm not a writer, but I've got a great story.' Irvine Welsh

Great Me Book People Will Enough Hey Say Great Idea Writer Idea Great Story Come Most Annoying Got Up Story Thing

That's the kind of consumer society we live in. We're always looking for the next product that's going to change your life instead of just going out and changing your life. Irvine Welsh

Life Change Looking Live Society Changing Out Kind Consumer Instead Always Going Just Next Product Your

From 'Trainspotting' to 'Acid House,' I moved from urban realism into fantasy. Irvine Welsh

House Moved Acid Realism Urban Fantasy

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