Novels demand a certain complexity of narrative and scope, so it's necessary for the characters to change. Maria Semple changecharactercomplexity Change image and share on social
My summer reading suggestion: Pick a really famous, really long novel. Maria Semple famouslongpick Change image and share on social
In my high-minded and naive way, I believed the only books worth reading were the classics. Maria Semple believebookclassic Change image and share on social
I don't mind finding these ugly sides to my personality and exaggerating them because that's something you can write towards. Maria Semple exaggeratefindmind Change image and share on social
'Where'd You Go, Bernadette' is an epistolary novel - one told in letters. I had no idea how much fun it would be, puzzling together the plot with letters and documents. Maria Semple bernadettedocumentepistolary Change image and share on social
I naively thought I would quit television writing, move up to Seattle, my novel would come out, and then I'd have a novel writing career, and so I found myself really stuck in this very poisonous self-pitying state and felt like I'd never write again. And I blamed Seattle for that. Maria Semple blamecareerfelt share on social
I attended TED in 2007 and 2008, the last two years the conference was held in Monterey. Maria Semple attendconferencehold Change image and share on social
I think that's the most important job of a novelist - to bring authority to their writing. Maria Semple authoritybringimportant Change image and share on social
When you become a parent, that's a whole new level of life intruding. Nobody tells you how boring and time-sucking it's going to be! Or how the responsibility feels like an airbag going off in your life. Maria Semple airbagborefelt share on social
My talent isn't so much in traditional research as in finding really smart people and badgering them with questions. Maria Semple badgerfindpeople Change image and share on social
