I suppose I'm proudest of my novels for what's imagined in them. I think the world of my imagination is a richer and more interesting place than my personal biography. John Irving biographyimaginationimagine Change image and share on social
I don't think I've had a very interesting life, and I feel that is a great liberation. That gives me great freedom as a fiction writer. Nothing that happened holds any special tyranny over me. John Irving feelfictionfreedom Change image and share on social
I get up early. I like to read a little before anyone but the dog is up. I also like to read at night, not in bed but just before I go to bed. John Irving beddogearly Change image and share on social
'Great Expectations' was an important novel in my adolescence. It was very much one of those emblematic novels that made me wish I could write like that. It helped that my models as a writer were dead over a hundred years before I began to write. John Irving adolescencebegindead share on social
I've always preferred writing in longhand. I've always written first drafts in longhand. John Irving drafthavelonghand Change image and share on social
If I have any advantage, maybe, as a writer, it is that I don't think I'm very interesting. I mean, beginning a novel with the last sentence is a pretty plodding way to spend your life. John Irving advantagebegininterest Change image and share on social
I believe that, in any novel of mine, the principal objective is the construction of the whole. John Irving constructionmineobjective Change image and share on social
When I was still in prep school - 14, 15 - I started keeping notebooks, journals. I started writing, almost like landscape drawing or life drawing. I never kept a diary, I never wrote about my day and what happened to me, but I described things. John Irving daydiarydraw share on social
You can't learn everything you need to know legally. John Irving learnlegally Change image and share on social
You know, people think you have to be dumb to skip rope for 45 minutes. No, you have to be able to imagine something else. While you're skipping rope, you have to be able to see something else. John Irving dumbimagineminute Change image and share on social