3621 quotes by scottish authors for you to enjoy

Certainly in the case of 'Kill Your Friends,' a book I wrote more than 10 years ago, I routinely meet interviewers who appear to know the book better than I do. But still, you have to talk about it. John Niven

You Book Better Meet About Case More Know Talk Wrote Still Years Years Ago Friends Than Your Certainly Who Appear

You know that thing where you repeat a word over and over until it just sounds like utter gibberish? That's what doing a day of press on a film is like. Ten interviews in a row, all asking pretty much the same questions until you find yourself giving pretty much the same answers. John Niven

Day You Yourself Word Giving Interviews Press Find Pretty Ten Over Like Know Until Answers Doing Sounds Repeat Questions Same Just Where Much Asking Film Utter Thing Row

It's tough being a dictator, but I've always thought it must be tougher being a hanger-on to a dictator. The late nights spent listening to his crazed ranting, the weary rictus grin from smiling at bad jokes, the draining knowledge that one misjudged comment could land you on the chopping block. John Niven

Knowledge You Jokes Weary Listening Thought Tough Nights Draining Late Spent Bad Must Could Tougher Smiling Always Block His Comment Dictator Being Grin Land Chopping

I returned from my last L.A. visit to find myself tipping the scales like Homer Simpson when he tries to gain enough weight to qualify as disabled to be allowed to work from home. All I was missing was his kaftan and Fat Guy Hat. So, I decided it was time to diet. John Niven

Work Time Myself Home Enough Scales Visit Hat Find Tries Guy Disabled Allowed Weight He Simpson Missing Like Qualify Returned His Diet Tipping Decided Gain Homer Fat Last

I've often found myself looking fondly at the Valentine's cultures in other countries. South Korea, for instance - where women must give chocolate to men. John Niven

Non-Muslims in Saudi Arabia can only celebrate Valentine's Day behind closed doors. Apparently, this has led to a huge black market for flowers and wrapping paper. John Niven

I had left the music industry at the end of 2001, after 10 years, and had spent three years writing every single day - producing two unpublished novels, one abandoned novel, and three unproduced screenplays. The word 'no' and I were on more than nodding terms. The word 'no' and I were talking about going on holiday together. John Niven

Music Day Together Writing Word Three Single Every Music Industry Spent Abandoned Unpublished About More Had Terms Industry Talking Single Day Were Years Left End Than Going Screenplays After Holiday Producing Novel Novels Two Every Single Day

On one level, of course, the notion of judging films or books or music against each other is completely ridiculous. Who's to say '12 Years A Slave' is a better film than 'The Wolf of Wall Street'? Or that one album in a certain genre is better than another in a completely different genre? John Niven

Music Better Wolf Films Other Books Say Genre Another Course Judging Years Than Wall Wall Street Different Against Certain Notion Each Ridiculous Film Street Level Album Slave

There are some sentences you cannot see yourself ever writing. 'I heartily endorse the Conservative Party' would be one. 'I look forward to Justin Bieber's new record' would be another. John Niven

I'm something of a black belt at break-ups. I have had two long-term relationships in my life, both of 10 years, both resulting in children, and both very much over. Things end. It is how you manage them being over that's key. John Niven

Life You Key Black My Life Relationships Something Both Resulting Had Long-Term Over How Years End Very Manage Being Children Them Much Things Two Belt

I cannot, will never, understand these couples who hate each other, who conduct open warfare in front of their children - the kind of people who have to drop the kids off at the end of the driveway in case they lay eyes on one another. At the very least, civility must reign. John Niven

Eyes Hate People Will Drop Other Kids Kind Must Case Civility Lay Never Open Driveway Couples Another Understand Least Off End Conduct Very Front Children Cannot Warfare Who Each Reign

It's one of the hardest things in the world to sustain a monogamous relationship for many years. People out there who have been with their partners for 30 years or more - I salute you. But it's just as hard to admit something isn't working and then try to manage a civilised separation as best as you can. John Niven

Best Relationship You People World Try Separation Out Admit Something More Civilised Partners Been Years Salute Manage Just Sustain Then Working Hard Who Many Hardest Things Monogamous Monogamous Relationship

I was on the dole once. I loved it. It was only for a couple of years, when I was 20 or 21 and playing in a band. Back then, this was something young folk did - you got your rent paid, a little bit of money to live on, and you loafed around, wrote songs, rehearsed and dreamed of playing Wembley Stadium. John Niven

You Money Band Young Live Back Once Bit Folk Dreamed Something Only Songs Couple Wrote Around Got Rent Dole Years Did Stadium Loved Little Little Bit Then Paid Your Rehearsed Playing

When I went into the computer shop to change my last laptop, the 19-year-old kid behind the counter looked at my six-year-old model and described it as 'vintage.' 'Vintage?' I wanted to scream. 'Son, I've got shirts older than you! I own underpants that have seen more of the world!' John Niven

As anyone who follows me on Twitter will know, I'm fairly robust in my views on there. I get next to nothing in the way of trolling. Most women I know who regularly come close to expressing an opinion get trolled constantly. This is a men-on-women issue. Guys are pretty much doing it to the girls. John Niven

Me Women Will Girl Nothing Twitter Way Constantly Pretty Follows Guys Come Know Most Fairly Opinion Robust Doing Issue Close Get Anyone Much Next Regularly Views Who Expressing

Whenever someone like a plumber or a mechanic tries to explain something technical to me, I listen for about three seconds before it all just becomes white noise, like Charlie Brown's teacher. John Niven

The Clash had a unique, special relationship with Scotland. Perhaps it was something to do with the energy, anger and beauty in their music. In Scotland at that time, there was a lot of to be angry about. And a great need of some energy and beauty. John Niven

Music Time Great Angry Relationship Anger Beauty Energy Clash Some About Something Had Perhaps Lot Scotland Special Unique Need

It wasn't until my teenage years that a book really left a mark, and that was George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four.' It was on the syllabus at school when I was about 16, and I went on to read more of his books. It was the height of the Cold War, so a lot of the messages really resonated at the time. John Niven

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A novel I read when I was about 17 or 18 - 'The World According to Garp,' by John Irving - really made me want to become a writer. The character of Garp is a novelist, and at the time, the whole lifestyle of being a writer was hugely appealing to me. John Niven

Twitter is almost novelistic. John Niven

Twitter Almost

There were some summers when every boy in Ayrshire seemed to be playing golf, and my dad taught me. But he was a terrible teacher - of everything. Learning to drive with him almost killed me. He was the world's most impatient man - awful short fuse. John Niven

Teacher Me Man Learning World Drive Every Everything Summers Fuse Some Seemed Impatient He Almost Most Terrible Him Boy Were Short Taught Golf Dad Awful Playing

You don't have to know people personally for them to be role models. Some of my most important role models were historical or literary figures that I only read about - never actually met. John Wilson

Quotes by scottish authors