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Michael Ondaatje Quotes

I don’t have a plan for a story when I sit down to write. I would get quite bored carrying it out Picture Quote #1

I tend not to know what the plot is or the story is or even the theme. Those things come later, for me Picture Quote #1

It doubles your perception, to write from the point of view of someone you’re not Picture Quote #1

It’s a discovery of a story when I write a book, a case of inching ahead on each page and discovering what’s beyond in the darkness, beyond where you’re writing Picture Quote #1

It’s a responsibility of the writer to get the reader out of the story somehow Picture Quote #1

Once I’ve discovered the story, I might restructure it, maybe move things around, set up a clue that something is going to happen later, but that happens much later in an editorial capacity Picture Quote #1

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Research can be a big clunker. It’s difficult to know how you can make the historical light Picture Quote #1

The last three books are much more a case of a moment of history, what happened almost by accident or coincidence, like being in the same elevator or lifeboat Picture Quote #1

When you’re writing, it’s as if you’re within a kind of closed world Picture Quote #1

You don’t want to write your own opinion, you don’t want to just represent yourself, but represent yourself through someone else Picture Quote #1

You want to suggest something new, but at the same time, resolve the drama of the action in the novel Picture Quote #1

You’re getting everyone’s point of view at the same time, which for me, is the perfect state for a novel: a cubist state, the cubist novel Picture Quote #1

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For the first forty days a child is given dreams of previous lives. Journeys, winding paths, a hundred small lessons and then the past is erased Picture Quote #1

I want to die on your chest but not yet she wrote sometime in the 13th century of our love Picture Quote #1

Her life with others no longer interests him. He wants only her stalking beauty, her theatre of expressions. He wants the minute secret reflection between them, the depth of field minimal, their foreignness intimate like two pages of a closed book Picture Quote #1

You built your walls too, she tells him. So I have my wall. She says it glittering in a beauty he cannot stand. She with her beautiful clothes with her pale face that laughs at everyone who smiles at her Picture Quote #1

He knows that the only way he can accept losing her is if he can continue to hold her or be held by her. If they can somehow nurse each other out of this. Not with a wall Picture Quote #1

She had grown older. And he loved her more now than he had loved her when he understood her better, when she was the product of her parents. What she was now was what she herself had decided to become Picture Quote #1

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She had always wanted words, she loved them; grew up on them. Words gave her clarity, brought reason, shape Picture Quote #1

Before the real city could be seen it had to be imagined, the way rumours and tall tales were a kind of charting Picture Quote #1

He has been disassembled by her. And if she has brought him to this, what has he brought her to? Picture Quote #1

How we are almost nothing. We think, in our youth, we are the centre of the universe, but we simply respond, go this way or that by accident, survive or improve by the luck of the draw, with little choice or determination on our part Picture Quote #1

This last night we tear into each other, as if to wound, as if to find the key to everything before morning Picture Quote #1

Could you fall in love with her if she wasn’t smarter than you? I mean, she may not be smarter than you. But isn’t it important for you to think she is smarter than you in order to fall in love? Think now Picture Quote #1

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A postcard. Neat handwriting fills the rectangle. Half my days I cannot bear to touch you. The rest of my time I feel like it doesn’t matter if I will ever see you again. It isn’t the morality, it’s how much you can bear. No date. No name attached Picture Quote #1

Nowadays he doesn’t think of his wife, though he knows he can turn around and evoke every move of her, describe any aspect of her, the weigh of her wrist on his heart during the night Picture Quote #1

Meanwhile with the help of an anecdote I fell in love. Words caravaggio. They have a power Picture Quote #1

If she were a writer she would collect her pencils and notebooks and favourite cat and write in bed. Strangers and lovers would never get past the locked door Picture Quote #1

He was a man who wrote, who interpreted the world. Wisdom grew out of being handed just the smallest sliver of emotion. A glance could lead to paragraphs of theory Picture Quote #1

There is the hidden presence of others in us, even those we have known briefly. We contain them for the rest of our lives, at every border that we cross Picture Quote #1

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Friendship Quotes

Motivational Quotes

Inspirational Quotes

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Text Quotes

I don’t have a plan for a story when I sit down to write. I would get quite bored carrying it out (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) I tend not to know what the plot is or the story is or even the theme. Those things come later, for me (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) It doubles your perception, to write from the point of view of someone you’re not (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) It’s a discovery of a story when I write a book, a case of inching ahead on each page and discovering what’s beyond in the darkness, beyond where you’re writing (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) It’s a responsibility of the writer to get the reader out of the story somehow (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) Once I’ve discovered the story, I might restructure it, maybe move things around, set up a clue that something is going to happen later, but that happens much later in an editorial capacity (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) Research can be a big clunker. It’s difficult to know how you can make the historical light (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) The last three books are much more a case of a moment of history, what happened almost by accident or coincidence, like being in the same elevator or lifeboat (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) When you’re writing, it’s as if you’re within a kind of closed world (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) You don’t want to write your own opinion, you don’t want to just represent yourself, but represent yourself through someone else (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) You want to suggest something new, but at the same time, resolve the drama of the action in the novel (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) You’re getting everyone’s point of view at the same time, which for me, is the perfect state for a novel: a cubist state, the cubist novel (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) For the first forty days a child is given dreams of previous lives. Journeys, winding paths, a hundred small lessons and then the past is erased (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) I want to die on your chest but not yet she wrote sometime in the 13th century of our love (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) Her life with others no longer interests him. He wants only her stalking beauty, her theatre of expressions. He wants the minute secret reflection between them, the depth of field minimal, their foreignness intimate like two pages of a closed book (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) You built your walls too, she tells him. So I have my wall. She says it glittering in a beauty he cannot stand. She with her beautiful clothes with her pale face that laughs at everyone who smiles at her (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) He knows that the only way he can accept losing her is if he can continue to hold her or be held by her. If they can somehow nurse each other out of this. Not with a wall (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) She had grown older. And he loved her more now than he had loved her when he understood her better, when she was the product of her parents. What she was now was what she herself had decided to become (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) She had always wanted words, she loved them; grew up on them. Words gave her clarity, brought reason, shape (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) Before the real city could be seen it had to be imagined, the way rumours and tall tales were a kind of charting (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) He has been disassembled by her. And if she has brought him to this, what has he brought her to? (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) How we are almost nothing. We think, in our youth, we are the centre of the universe, but we simply respond, go this way or that by accident, survive or improve by the luck of the draw, with little choice or determination on our part (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) This last night we tear into each other, as if to wound, as if to find the key to everything before morning (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) Could you fall in love with her if she wasn’t smarter than you? I mean, she may not be smarter than you. But isn’t it important for you to think she is smarter than you in order to fall in love? Think now (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) A postcard. Neat handwriting fills the rectangle. Half my days I cannot bear to touch you. The rest of my time I feel like it doesn’t matter if I will ever see you again. It isn’t the morality, it’s how much you can bear. No date. No name attached (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) Nowadays he doesn’t think of his wife, though he knows he can turn around and evoke every move of her, describe any aspect of her, the weigh of her wrist on his heart during the night (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) Meanwhile with the help of an anecdote I fell in love. Words caravaggio. They have a power (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) If she were a writer she would collect her pencils and notebooks and favourite cat and write in bed. Strangers and lovers would never get past the locked door (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) He was a man who wrote, who interpreted the world. Wisdom grew out of being handed just the smallest sliver of emotion. A glance could lead to paragraphs of theory (Michael Ondaatje Quotes) There is the hidden presence of others in us, even those we have known briefly. We contain them for the rest of our lives, at every border that we cross (Michael Ondaatje Quotes)

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