I remember being in high school and listening to Vivaldi's 'Winter' and being so overwhelmed with emotion. Sara Zarr emotionhighlisten Change image and share on social
I don't want to pretend like I'm some intellectual person who understands Flannery O'Connor. Sara Zarr connorflanneryintellectual Change image and share on social
Readers want a story, not a pattern. It's the specifics of a story that make it really ping our various reader radars. Sara Zarr makepatternping Change image and share on social
I grew up in San Francisco in the 1970s. We were part of a church that belonged to the California Jesus movement. Sara Zarr 1970sbelongcalifornia Change image and share on social
The characters are whole, real people to me that I'm getting to know, and since real people are all flawed, so are my characters, I hope. Sara Zarr characterflawedhope Change image and share on social
I do have a little bit more confidence in - or at least familiarity with - my process. For example, when it feels like it's going badly or that I'm lost, I know I'll eventually find my way because I've been through it before. But writing itself is still hard. Sara Zarr badlybiteconfidence share on social
One of my favorite authors is Robert Cormier. He was a devout Catholic and a very nice man, which might not be the impression you get from reading his books. Sara Zarr authorbookcatholic Change image and share on social
Is it good, bad, or neutral to recognize thematic patterns in your own work? When it comes to recurring themes, I'm of the mind that knowledge is probably not power, at least in terms of the work. Sara Zarr badgoodknowledge Change image and share on social
When my characters are questioning things, it's not me leading up to an answer; it's me asking those same questions and letting the characters' lives unfold and seeing where it takes them. Sara Zarr answercharacterlead Change image and share on social
When the reader and one narrator know something the other narrator does not, the opportunities for suspense and plot development and the shifting of reader sympathies get really interesting. Sara Zarr developmentinterestnarrator Change image and share on social
