Joyce Carol Oates

 “Writing is like a spiritual manifestation of something deep within us we don't really know is there.”

“Keeping a journal sharpens our senses. It's like an exercise in writing. If you're describing a scene, you are practicing the act of writing—which is very important—and thinking in language.”

“There is an instinct in our species to tell stories. It's a way of explaining the universe and explaining our world.”

“If you can tell a story as briefly as possible, it's more dramatic. If it's too long, then it has the problems of pacing, it could get a little slow. But the shorter you can make a story, the better.”

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