Gary Shteyngart Quotes about Writing

The only way to write about right now is to write about the future.

The only way to write about right now is to write about the future.

Writing, Way, Right Now

I write five, six days a week. The thing is capturing the voice. I feel like I've been perfecting one voice - in different iterations, sure, but the Russian-ness has always been the undercurrent.

Gary Shteyngart

Writing, Voice, Six

"'Little Failure' Gary Shteyngart on Immigrant Parents and 'Going Memoir'". Interview with Hannah Levintova, www.motherjones.com. January 3, 2014.

Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean you have to write for the Academy. Be true to your personality. Don't temper your personality down with words. Don't build defensive fortresses around yourself with words - words are your friends.

Gary Shteyngart

Mean, Writing, Personality

Asthmatic immigrant learns to breathe by writing.

Gary Shteyngart

Writing, Breathe, Immigrants

Source: www.motherjones.com

Usually, with a novel, you start with no idea what to do because your job is to create convincing characters and then they just run around getting crazy. The problem with writing a memoir, obviously, is you can't do that because you sort of know what's going to happen. Because you're the character.

Gary Shteyngart

Running, Crazy, Writing

Source: www.guernicamag.com

People always write on my Facebook that they've seen somebody they thought was me on the subway, and I was cursing badly.

Gary Shteyngart

Writing, People, Subway

Source: www.motherjones.com

One of the goals of analysis is you become your own analyst. You continue the process even if you're not in therapy, whether you continue the process by walking down the street thinking about things or whether you continue the process, as I do, by writing about them.

Gary Shteyngart

Writing, Thinking, Goal

Source: www.guernicamag.com