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Maria Semple Quotes

American - Novelist | May 21, 1964 -

Much of the time in the writer's room is spent working on story, and I was always challenging myself to make it more interesting, tighter and more surprising: to come at it sideways in a way that the audience wasn't expecting.

Time Myself Story Interesting Way

It was important for me early on to find the voice of each character and figure out what was unique about them and their individual worldview that I could use for comedy or conflict.

Character Me Conflict Voice Comedy

Writing a novel is so hard, and there are so many problems that the last thing you're thinking about is adapting this mess you have on your hands as a movie. You just want to get it to work as a novel. That's your main focus.

Work Focus Writing Problems Thinking

I always write authors after I read their books. I've been doing it for years. I write a formal letter and send it to them in care of their agent. My mother always taught us to write thank you notes, and if an author puts themselves out there, they like to hear that their book connected with someone.

Mother Book Thank You Care Doing

I'm not the comedy police, but you watch a movie, and everyone's laughing, and then you shake it out, and you realize, 'There's no joke there!'

Police Comedy You Realize Joke Out

I attended TED in 2007 and 2008, the last two years the conference was held in Monterey.

Two Years Conference Last Held Ted

When I came back from my first TED, very few people knew what it was. But around the time I was sitting down to write 'Where'd You Go, Bernadette,' in 2010, TED was exploding.

Time People You Back Down Sitting

If you're an artist and you're on Twitter, you are doomed to mediocrity.

Mediocrity You Artist Twitter Doomed

Creating art is painful. It takes time, practice, and the courage to stand alone.

Courage Alone Time Art Practice

I guess that's what art is: Turning something painful into something people can relate to.

Art People Painful Something Relate

On Jan. 1, 2012, I resolved to not buy anything from Amazon for a year.

Year Buy Anything Amazon Resolved

I quickly realized that shopping on Amazon had made the idea of parking my car and going into a store feel like an outrageous imposition on my time and good nature.

Nature Good Car Time Shopping Feel

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