I must say, it was a lot easier writing novels than I thought it would be. I think it's because I'm a novelist at heart, and it took me a while to figure that out. Maria Semple easyfigureheart Change image and share on social
I guess that's what art is: Turning something painful into something people can relate to. Maria Semple artguesspainful Change image and share on social
I never understood the concept of a fluffy summer read. For me, summer reading means beaches, long train rides and layovers in foreign airports. All of which call for escaping into really long books. Maria Semple airportbeachbook Change image and share on social
I think a novel has to be about where you are at a given moment in time. I think it really needs to represent some specific pain you're going through. it's not just a story. Maria Semple momentpainrepresent Change image and share on social
I learned that comedy is born out of strong characters. I won't begin writing a character until I have a clear take on them. Maria Semple bearbegincharacter Change image and share on social
Even when I was writing 'Where'd You Go, Bernadette,' I started to appreciate Seattle's many charms. Maria Semple bernadettecharmseattle Change image and share on social
'Where'd You Go, Bernadette' was surprisingly easy and fun to write because I was feeling such strong emotions. Maria Semple bernadetteeasyemotion Change image and share on social
I'm consistently blown away by 'Mad Men.' Having spent so much time in the writers' room, I'm cursed in that anytime I watch something, I'm always calculating what the writers are up to. Maria Semple anytimeblowcalculate Change image and share on social
In a lot of ways, TV writing taught me how to be a good storyteller. I learned about dialogue, scenes, moving the plot forward. Maria Semple dialogueforwardgood Change image and share on social
I drop my kid off at school and then race home, and it's a very limited time. I can only do really serious writing for a couple of hours. And then I always go on a walk, I do a one-to-two-hour walk; I don't go running or hard hiking. Maria Semple coupledrophard share on social
