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First drafts are for learning what your story is about.

Bernard Malamud

You write by sitting down and writing. There’s no particular time or place—you suit yourself, your nature.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Down Sitting Writing
I love metaphor. It provides two loaves where there seems to be one. Sometimes it throws in a load of fish.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Metaphor Sometimes Two
For misery don’t blame God. He gives the food but we cook it.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Blame Giving Misery
The past exudes legend: one can’t make pure clay of time’s mud.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Clay Experience Past
Politics isn’t in my nature.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Nature Politics Work
Writers who can’t invent stories often substitute style for narrative. They remind me of the painter who couldn’t paint people, so he painted chairs.
BERNARD MALAMUD

People Stories Style
Somewhere I put it this way: first drafts are for learning what one’s fiction wants him to say. Revision works with that knowledge to enlarge and enhance an idea, to reform it. Revision is one of the exquisite pleasures of writing.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Ideas Reform Revision Work Writing
Reader, I am myself the subject of my book; you would be unreasonable to spend your leisure on so frivolous and so vain a matter.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Book Frivolous Leisure Matter
We didn’t starve but nobody ate chicken unless we were sick or the chicken was.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Poor Poverty Sick
Life is a tragedy full of joy.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Follow Joy Life Your Heart
We’re persecuted in the most civilized languages.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Civilized Language Persecuted
What suffering has taught me is the uselessness of suffering.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Suffering Taught Uselessness
Where to look if you’ve lost your mind?
BERNARD MALAMUD

Looks Lost Mind
The idea is to get the pencil moving quickly.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Ideas Moving Writing
You see in others who you are.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Identity Who You Are
To any writer: Teach yourself to work in uncertainty. Many writers are anxious when they begin, or try something new.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Character Discipline Writing

First drafts are for learning what your story is about.

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First drafts are for learning what your story is about.

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