22 Patrick Ness Quotes for You to Enjoy

Patrick Ness

American Author

Born: Oct 17, 1971

Book People Think Will Writing You

Related authors: F. Scott Fitzgerald Frederick Douglass Helen Keller Henry David Thoreau Joyce Meyer Mark Twain Og Mandino Zig Ziglar

I get tired of comedies where there are a bunch of funny guys and a beautiful woman who doesn't do anything funny. And I don't like books where there's a rough-and-tumble boy and a really clever, snotty girl. That's just not my experience with teenagers. Patrick Ness

Forget market or publishers or whatever. Just write with fire and joy, and in my own experience, those are the stories of mine people have wanted to read. Patrick Ness

Experience People Joy Fire Whatever Own Market Mine Those My Own Write Read Forget Just Wanted Stories Publishers

I got tired of books where the boy is a bit thick and the girl's very clever. Why does it have to such an opposition? Why can't they be like the girls and boys that I know personally, who are equally funny and equally cross? Who get things equally wrong and are equally brave? And make the same mistakes? Patrick Ness

Funny Tired Girl Clever Mistakes Books Bit Cross Wrong Like Know Make Equally Boy Does Got Opposition Very Get Brave Same Same Mistakes Where Personally Who Thick Why Things

Limitations can be hugely creative and hugely inspiring - so long as they are the ones you choose for yourself. I will not allow anyone to take anything off my palette, but if I do, then within that, I can be creative. Patrick Ness

You Creative Yourself Will Long Inspiring Take Allow Within Limitations Off Hugely Anyone Anything Then Choose Palette

For me, when I start a novel, I only have a general sense of what I am going to do - usually three or four big scenes or something to which I can really respond emotionally. Patrick Ness

Me Three Big Sense Respond Something General Only Scenes General Sense Emotionally Am Going Which Really Novel Four Start

Whenever I have tried to write for other people, that's when my writing has failed, when nobody wanted to read it or buy it. But it's only when I've been able to write a story that makes me excited, only then have other people wanted to read it. Patrick Ness

Buy Me People Writing Other Tried Able Only Write Excited Failed Nobody Read Makes Been Whenever Wanted Story Then

I try to avoid describing one interpretation of my books. Of course I have an opinion. I have things I want to say, but I don't ever want to limit anybody, to have them say, 'Oh, he said this, so that's what it's about.' I'm happy people bring their own stuff to it. Patrick Ness

Happy People Try Own Interpretation Books Say About He Stuff Course Limit Opinion Said Oh Anybody Want Them Happy People Avoid Describing Ever Things Bring

The best characters in books are always the difficult ones, and why would you want to fall in love with someone difficult? The ones I'd fall in love with are the ones I'd definitely keep out of a book. Patrick Ness

Love Best You Book Fall Difficult Books Definitely Out Characters Would Someone Always Want Keep Why

I'm a long distance runner, and I get my best ideas when I'm out running. It also helps that I can't write it down immediately - if you hold onto an idea, other things will stick on it. Patrick Ness

I like writing for teenagers because they're not snobs. Patrick Ness

Writing Teenagers Like Because

I write 1,000-1,500 words. The next day, I rewrite it and add 1,000-1,500 words to the end of it. Patrick Ness

Day Words Add Write End Rewrite Next

I like writers who seem to write because they have to. You get the feeling of this burning desire to tell a story. I find it in Peter Carey, Nicola Barker, Ali Smith and David Foster Wallace. Patrick Ness

I meet blind and partially-sighted young readers all the time, and it's a shock that so few books are available to them. Patrick Ness

Time Few Young Meet Books Blind Readers Shock Available Them

No one wants to read an apologetic book. Patrick Ness

Book No-One Read Wants Apologetic

How you leave the reader is so important - not the climax; I call it the 'exit feeling'. Patrick Ness

You Feeling Important Call Reader How Climax Leave Exit

If I sit down to write a young-adult novel, then I'm going to write either to the punch-pulling expectation of what I can't do, or I'm going to go the other way and think about what can I sneak in to be 'down with the kids' - which would be excruciating. Patrick Ness

Expectation Sit Down Think Other Way Kids Would Would-Be About Write Excruciating Go Sneak Going Either Which Then Novel

Plot is a framework on which to drape other things. So once that's working, I can just let it go and do all the stuff that I love - 'Trojan horse' it. There are so many great YA heroines, and that's fantastic, but what about the emotionally complex boy out there? That's who I tend to write about. Patrick Ness

Love Great Other Heroines Framework Once Drape Complex Out Plot About Horse Tend Write Emotionally Stuff Ya Boy Go Just Which Fantastic Working Who Many Things

I don't purposely push the boundaries... I think if you pay attention to a story, it will have exactly as much 'difficult material' as it needs, and nobody will complain about it because you've earnt it. Patrick Ness

Needs You Will Pay Pay Attention Difficult Think Complain Exactly About Purposely Push Attention Boundaries Nobody Because Material Story Much

Patrick Ness Quotes

No more Patrick Ness quotes