26 Tess Gerritsen Quotes for You to Enjoy

Tess Gerritsen

American Novelist

Born: Jun 12, 1953

Me Mother People Think Writing You

Related authors: Elie Wiesel Ernest Hemingway H. P. Lovecraft James Baldwin John Updike Leo Rosten Nathaniel Hawthorne Richard Bach

Alzheimer's is literally killing us, and the only way to fight this 'crime' is through a groundswell of people who continue to raise their voices and funds to ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Tess Gerritsen

Fight People Crime Way Ensure Only Voices Through Attention Alzheimer Continue Gets Literally Us Who Deserves Raise Funds

Only with maturity did I come to appreciate my own Chinese roots: not just the food and the ancient history, but also the philosophy of child-rearing and the respect for education and knowledge. Tess Gerritsen

Education Food Knowledge History Respect Maturity Own Philosophy Ancient My Own Only Come Also Did Child-Rearing Just Chinese Roots Appreciate

'I am a bad mother.' Every Christmas, this is what I think because the holiday season fills me with such anxiety. I'm sure that other mothers are happily baking cookies, decorating trees, and finding perfect gifts for everyone. Tess Gerritsen

Christmas Me Anxiety Mother Holiday Season Every Think Other Trees Everyone Gifts Bad Finding Perfect Baking Sure Because Mothers Am Holiday Happily Decorating Cookies Fills Season

I was a writer first, and knew I'd be a storyteller at age seven. But since my parents are very practical, they urged me to go into a profession that would be far more secure, so I went to medical school. Tess Gerritsen

In 'Last to Die,' three children living in different cities are the only survivors when their families are slaughtered. Two years later, their foster families are murdered, and these three orphans are once again the only survivors. Tess Gerritsen

Three Living Later Once Cities Only Years Families Survivors Die Children Different Again Foster Orphans Slaughtered Last Two

My brother often complains to me about the 'angry Asian male' in the United States. As a female, I haven't encountered this, but Asian-American men are angry. They're angry because, for so many years, they've been neglected as sex symbols. Asian women have it much easier, I think; we're accepted into various circles. Tess Gerritsen

Angry Me Women Sex Men Think Complains Neglected Circles States Easier Brother About Various Because Accepted Female Been Male Years Encountered Often So Many Years Asian Asian-American Much Many United United States Symbols

Even if I never sold another book, I'd keep writing, because the stories are here, in my head. Stories that just need to be told. I love watching a plot unfold, and feeling the surprise when the unexpected happens. Tess Gerritsen

I was always meant to be a writer. I've felt that way since I was a child. Tess Gerritsen

Way Writer Since Felt Always Child Meant Meant To Be

I met my husband, Jacob, in medical school. We married and went to live in Hawaii where his family lived. It was very beautiful, but I wasn't used to being on an island and needed wide open spaces. Eventually we moved to Maine, New England. Tess Gerritsen

Beautiful Family School Husband Met Live Married Hawaii Open Maine Open Spaces New New England Island His Very Jacob Moved Being Where Spaces Used England Lived Eventually Medical Wide Medical School Needed

I shy away from showing cruelty on the page. A lot of the violence in my books actually happens off stage. The police come on to the scene after the event has occurred. Tess Gerritsen

Police Cruelty Stage Books Scene Come Occurred Lot Off After Happens Page Showing Event Away Actually Shy Violence

I always write on unlined typing paper and write the first draft in longhand, using cheap Bic pens. I try to write about four pages a day, which usually yields a first draft in six months. I don't plot ahead of time, so I'm flying by the seat of my pants for the first draft. Tess Gerritsen

Time Day Try First Pants Typing Months Paper Flying Plot Pens About Write Cheap Longhand Always Yields Six Which Pages Using Seat Four Draft

I spent my childhood watching every scary movie that Hollywood ever made. And I think that gave me the best education for storytelling. It also made me want to reproduce the scary moments that I felt, sitting in a theater at the age of 5. Tess Gerritsen

Education Best Me Age Made Every Think Gave Spent Scary Scary Movie Also Felt Sitting Childhood Want Movie Reproduce Theater Storytelling Hollywood Moments Ever Watching

I was an anthropology major in college, and I've had a lifelong fascination with Egyptology, mummies, and all sorts of bizarre cultural practices. Tess Gerritsen

College Bizarre Lifelong Had Major Sort Practices Anthropology Cultural Fascination

Since my romance novels had all been thrillers as well, it wasn't such a leap for me to move into the straight thriller genre. The most difficult part, I think, was being accepted as a thriller writer. Once you've written romance, unfortunately, critics will never stop calling you a 'former romance author.' Tess Gerritsen

Me You Will Difficult Think Once Critics Thriller Thrillers Writer Never Had Part Written Never Stop Since Most Leap Well Genre Calling Accepted Been Author Move Stop Romance Being Unfortunately Former Straight Novels

The best ideas are those that really affect me emotionally - those are the ones you never forget. You think to yourself, 'I want to write that book', for years; those are the ideas that I love to work with, and 'The Bone Garden' was one of them. Tess Gerritsen

Throughout most of my life, I've tried to downplay my Chinese heritage because I wanted so much to be an American. I was the only Asian kid in my elementary school, and I longed to be like everyone else. I insisted on American food; I was embarrassed by my mother's poor English. Tess Gerritsen

Life Food School Mother My Life Heritage Else Everyone Everyone Else Kid Embarrassed Tried Insisted Only Throughout Like Most Because American Wanted Chinese Asian Poor Much English Downplay Elementary Elementary School

Because my dad's Chinese-American, and they're very concrete, he said, 'There's no money to be made in literature.' So he told me to go into the sciences. And I was a good girl. And I did what Daddy said. And that's how I ended up being a doctor. But you know, you just can't stamp out that desire to tell stories. Tess Gerritsen

Good Me You Doctor Money Made Girl Out Tell He Know Because Sciences Said How Concrete Go Up Very Did Ended Just Being Stories Literature Stamp Dad Daddy Good Girl Desire

Medicine is probably one of the best backgrounds for a writer to find stories. I always think cops and docs have the best background because we see so much of human behavior, such a range of human emotions. Tess Gerritsen

Best Emotions Behavior Think Medicine Background Backgrounds Range Find See Writer Because Always Human Human Behavior Stories Human Emotions Much Cops

Tess Gerritsen Quotes

No more Tess Gerritsen quotes