In the midst of observing the world and coming to consciousness, I was becoming a writer, and what I wanted to put on the page were the stories of people who looked like me.
Jacqueline WoodsonRead
'Brown Girl Dreaming' was a book I had a lot of doubts about - mainly, would this story be meaningful to anyone besides me? My editor, Nancy Paulsen, kept assuring me, but there were moments when I was in a really sad place with the story for so many reasons. It wasn't an easy book to write - emotionally, physically, or creatively.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the challenges and self-doubt involved in the creative process of writing.
In this quote, Jacqueline Woodson expresses the struggles and uncertainties she faced while writing 'Brown Girl Dreaming.' Despite the reassurance from her editor, her doubts about the story's relevance to others, coupled with emotional and creative difficulties, highlight the profound challenges writers often encounter when pouring their personal experiences into their work. This quote illustrates the tension between personal narrative and the desire for broader connection through art.
Themes
WritingCreativityDoubtArtEmotion
In practice
Example use cases
Referencing this quote in a writing workshop to discuss the emotional challenges of creative work.
More from Jacqueline Woodson
All quotes →Sometimes you do have to laugh to keep from crying. And sometimes the world feels all right and good and kind of like it's becoming nice again around you. And you realize it, and realize how happy you are in it, and you just gotta laugh.
Jacqueline WoodsonRead
I don't want anyone to walk through the world feeling invisible ever again.
Jacqueline WoodsonRead
The strength of my mother is something I didn't pay attention to for so long. Here she was, this single mom, who was part of the Great Migration, who was part of a Jim Crow south, who said, 'I'm getting my kids out of here. I'm creating opportunities for these young people by any means necessary.'
Jacqueline WoodsonRead
I would have written 'Brown Girl Dreaming' if no one had ever wanted to buy it, if it went nowhere but inside a desk drawer that my own children pulled out one day to find a tool for survival, a symbol of how strong we are and how much we've come through.
Jacqueline WoodsonRead
I love how much love there is in the world of young adult and children's literature.
Jacqueline WoodsonRead
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