I've always seen writing as a way of telling the truth. For me, writing is about truth. I have always tried to be faithful to my own experience.
Edmund WhiteRead
Most writers tend to get worse rather than better. I'm determined to be one that gets better.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the commitment to continuous improvement in writing, despite the common trend of diminishing skills over time.
Edmund White's quote reflects a determination to defy the norm that many writers experience a decline in their craft as they age. It speaks to the importance of perseverance and an active effort to grow and refine one's skills, highlighting that improvement is a conscious choice rather than an automatic progression.
Themes
WritersImprovementSkillDeterminationPerseverance
In practice
Example use cases
In a writing workshop, you could encourage participants by citing this quote to motivate them towards their growth as writers.
More from Edmund White
All quotes βIn a memoir, your main contract with the reader is to tell the truth, no matter how bizarre.
Edmund WhiteRead
If bigots oppose gay marriage so vehemently, it must be because marriage is a defining institution for them; gays will never be fully accepted until they can marry and adopt, like anyone else.
Edmund WhiteRead
When we are young... we often experience things in the present with a nostalgia-in-advance, but we seldom guess what we will truly prize years from now.
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I was never an assimilationist. I always thought gays had some special mission.
Edmund WhiteRead
The Stonewall riots were a key moment for gay people. Throughout modern history, gays had thought of themselves as something like a mental illness or maybe a sin or a crime. Gay liberation allowed us to make the leap to being a 'minority group,' which made life much easier.
Edmund WhiteRead
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