I think that good storytelling of any kind does promote a humility in that it encourages you to see the world the way that other people see it. Jonathan Dee encouragegoodhumility Change image and share on social
Here is what I am not going to do: I am not going to go to a restaurant, take pictures of my food, download them, and call that a blog. That is beyond the pale. The Internet is such a bazaar of self-indulgences that I don't know why that particular one should bug me so much. But it really does. Jonathan Dee bazaarblogbug share on social
When I read a book I liked, I would get a pen and one of my father's legal pads and rewrite it from memory as if I had thought of it myself. It was a clear sign that I wanted to be involved in writing, even if it was just pretend at that point. Jonathan Dee bookclearfather share on social
That's always the most productive research - research into tone, into voice. Facts are nice, too, but facts are more raw material than creative inspiration. Jonathan Dee creativefactinspiration Change image and share on social
Children go from being a kind of cultural protectorate to the Junior Auxiliary of the tube-watching nation at large, and programs are designed for them on the same principle as they're designed for grown-ups: as a way to sell eyeballs to advertisers. Jonathan Dee advertiserauxiliarychild share on social
I seem to have a talent for writing endings that seem just right to me but that frustrate other people. Jonathan Dee endingfrustratepeople Change image and share on social
When I'm composing a scene for the first time, I try to imitate my character. The less critical distance the better - particularly when they're acting badly. Jonathan Dee actbadlycharacter Change image and share on social
You never want to be in a position where your reader feels like you're passing judgment on your own characters. Any novel where you feel like the author is talking to the reader over the characters' heads is in a bad place. Jonathan Dee authorbadcharacter share on social
I'm not interested in current events per se, but I am interested in how certain aspects of social or public life that might seem ultra-contemporary actually take their place in a long American continuum. Jonathan Dee americanaspectcontemporary share on social
The first draft of everything, I write longhand. One of the nice things about that is that it makes you keep going. If you write a bad sentence on the computer, then it's very tempting to go back and fidget with it and spend another 20 minutes trying to make it into a good sentence. Jonathan Dee backbadcomputer share on social