Download This Image
  • George Saunders Quote - I tend to foster drama via bleakness. If I want the reader to feel sympathy for a character, I cleave the character in half, on his birthday. And then it starts raining. And he’s made of sugar.
  • George Saunders Quote - I tend to foster drama via bleakness. If I want the reader to feel sympathy for a character, I cleave the character in half, on his birthday. And then it starts raining. And he’s made of sugar.
  • George Saunders Quote - I tend to foster drama via bleakness. If I want the reader to feel sympathy for a character, I cleave the character in half, on his birthday. And then it starts raining. And he’s made of sugar.
  • George Saunders Quote - I tend to foster drama via bleakness. If I want the reader to feel sympathy for a character, I cleave the character in half, on his birthday. And then it starts raining. And he’s made of sugar.
  • George Saunders Quote - I tend to foster drama via bleakness. If I want the reader to feel sympathy for a character, I cleave the character in half, on his birthday. And then it starts raining. And he’s made of sugar.
  • George Saunders Quote - I tend to foster drama via bleakness. If I want the reader to feel sympathy for a character, I cleave the character in half, on his birthday. And then it starts raining. And he’s made of sugar.
  1. black
  2. grey
  3. blue
  4. red
  5. brown
  6. white

I tend to foster drama via bleakness. If I want the reader to feel sympathy for a character, I cleave the character in half, on his birthday. And then it starts raining. And he’s made of sugar.

George Saunders

More George Saunders Quotes

  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - If I can be more efficient, I’m actually being more respectful to the reader, which then implies a greater intimacy with the reader.

    If I can be more efficient, I’m actually being more respectful to the reader, which then implies a greater intimacy with the reader.

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - If you bring forth what is within you, it will save you. If you do not bring it forth, it will destroy you.

    If you bring forth what is within you, it will save you. If you do not bring it forth, it will destroy you.

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - When you talk about a reader being emotionally moved, a feeling of empathy, I think that comes out of that line-by-line respect for reader. That’s actually where it all comes from. Download This Image

    When you talk about a reader being emotionally moved, a feeling of empathy, I think that comes out of that line-by-line respect for reader. That’s actually where it all comes from.

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - When I wrote that [Donald] Trump piece, I had this uncomfortable experience of sensing a lot of things that were nascent, that I couldn’t quite articulate. And one of them was this move toward anti-intellectualism. An anti-love move, even.

    When I wrote that [Donald] Trump piece, I had this uncomfortable experience of sensing a lot of things that were nascent, that I couldn’t quite articulate. And one of them was this move toward anti-intellectualism. An anti-love move, even.

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - Early on, a story’s meaning and rationale seem pretty obvious, but then, as I write it, I realize that I know the meaning/rationale too well, which means that the reader will also know it – and so things have to be ramped up.

    Early on, a story’s meaning and rationale seem pretty obvious, but then, as I write it, I realize that I know the meaning/rationale too well, which means that the reader will also know it – and so things have to be ramped up.

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - With nonfiction, I go in trying to be really honest about what my preconceptions are. Download This Image

    With nonfiction, I go in trying to be really honest about what my preconceptions are.

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - I think in our time, you know, so much of the information we get is pre-polarized. Fiction has a way of reminding us that we actually are very similar in our emotions and our neurology and our desires and our fears, so I think it’s a nice way to neutralize that polarization. Download This Image

    I think in our time, you know, so much of the information we get is pre-polarized. Fiction has a way of reminding us that we actually are very similar in our emotions and our neurology and our desires and our fears, so I think it’s a nice way to neutralize that polarization.

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - I am always considering the reader. Although this is admittedly kind of odd: Which reader? On what day? In what mood? For me, that “reader” is actually just me, if I had never read the story before. Download This Image

    I am always considering the reader. Although this is admittedly kind of odd: Which reader? On what day? In what mood? For me, that “reader” is actually just me, if I had never read the story before.

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - As a writer I’m essentially just trying to impersonate a first-time reader, who picks up the story and has to decide, at every point, whether to keep going.

    As a writer I’m essentially just trying to impersonate a first-time reader, who picks up the story and has to decide, at every point, whether to keep going.

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - My idea about collections is that you write as hard as you can for some period and what you’re really doing during that time is hyper-focusing on the individual pieces – trying to make each one sit up and really do some surprising work.

    My idea about collections is that you write as hard as you can for some period and what you’re really doing during that time is hyper-focusing on the individual pieces – trying to make each one sit up and really do some surprising work.

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - Twitter is a deliberate abstention. Somehow I hate the idea of there always being, in the back of my mind, this little voice saying: ‘Oh, I should tweet about this.’ Download This Image

    Twitter is a deliberate abstention. Somehow I hate the idea of there always being, in the back of my mind, this little voice saying: ‘Oh, I should tweet about this.’

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - Someone told me once – I mean I said, “Is it ok that I don’t really know what the three-act structure is?” And he said, “It’s basically: Act 1: a guy climbs up a tree; Act 2: people come and throw stuff at him; Act 3: he gets down.” Download This Image

    Someone told me once – I mean I said, “Is it ok that I don’t really know what the three-act structure is?” And he said, “It’s basically: Act 1: a guy climbs up a tree; Act 2: people come and throw stuff at him; Act 3: he gets down.”

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - I love story-writing because I can (more or less, on occasion) actually DO it. That’s really the truth. I like the idea that a story is sort of a site for making cool language effects – a site for celebrating language, and, therefore, the world. Download This Image

    I love story-writing because I can (more or less, on occasion) actually DO it. That’s really the truth. I like the idea that a story is sort of a site for making cool language effects – a site for celebrating language, and, therefore, the world.

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - I’m not thinking much about overall themes or preoccupations or anything like that. Instead I’m just trusting that, if I’m working hard, various notions and riffs and motifs and so on are very naturally suffusing the stories and the resulting book.

    I’m not thinking much about overall themes or preoccupations or anything like that. Instead I’m just trusting that, if I’m working hard, various notions and riffs and motifs and so on are very naturally suffusing the stories and the resulting book.

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - One of the things I noticed about the Trump supporters was a lot of projected fear. I can’t tell you how many times a conversation went like this: “We’ve got to stop these immigrants, because it’s terrible.” I’d say, “Okay, what personally have you observed about this?” And there would be basically nothing in that box. And I’d say, “Where’d you get your information?” thinking they were going to say Fox. But they would always say, “Well, I get my information from all kinds of sources.” Fox is kind of center-left to a lot of people now.

    One of the things I noticed about the Trump supporters was a lot of projected fear. I can’t tell you how many times a conversation went like this: “We’ve got to stop these immigrants, because it’s terrible.” I’d say, “Okay, what personally have you observed about this?” And there would be basically nothing in that box. And I’d say, “Where’d you get your information?” thinking they were going to say Fox. But they would always say, “Well, I get my information from all kinds of sources.” Fox is kind of center-left to a lot of people now.

    GEORGE SAUNDERS
  • Share on Facebook Tweet this! Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Share on Telegram George Saunders Quote - I actually believe that a lot of what people call originality has to do with persistence in the craft.

    I actually believe that a lot of what people call originality has to do with persistence in the craft.

    GEORGE SAUNDERS