If you have a good story idea, don't assume it must form a prose narrative. It may work better as a play, a screenplay or a poem. Be flexible. Hilary Mantel assumeflexibleform Change image and share on social
What really disconcerts commentators, I suspect, is that when they read historical fiction, they feel their own lack of education may be exposed; they panic, because they don't know which bits are true. Hilary Mantel bitcommentatordisconcert share on social
My childhood gave me a very powerful sense of being spooked. I didn't know whether what I was seeing were sensory images of other people's unhappiness. Perhaps that was just the way the world manifested itself to me. Hilary Mantel childhoodgiveimage share on social
When you get fat, you get a new personality. You can't help it. Complete strangers ascribe it to you. Hilary Mantel ascribecompletefat Change image and share on social
I once dreamed a whole short story. Wrapped in its peculiar atmosphere, as if draped in clouds, I walked entranced to my desk at about 4 A.M. and typed it on to the screen. Hilary Mantel atmosphereclouddesk Change image and share on social
I would have been a disaster as a career politician. I would never have toed a party line. Hilary Mantel careerdisasterline Change image and share on social
Insights don't usually arrive at my desk, but go into notebooks when I'm on the move. Or half-asleep. Hilary Mantel arriveasleepdesk Change image and share on social
When narratives fracture, when words fail, I take consolation from the part of my life that always works: the stationery order. The mail-order stationery people supply every need from royal blue Quink to a dazzling variety of portable hard drives. Hilary Mantel blueconsolationdazzle share on social
I dislike pastiche; it attracts attention to the language only. Hilary Mantel attentionattractdislike Change image and share on social
Fiction isn't made by scraping the bones of topicality for the last shreds and sinews, to be processed into mechanically recovered prose. Like journalism, it deals in ideas as well as facts, but also in metaphors, symbols and myths. Hilary Mantel bonedealfact share on social
