We are made to persist. That’s how we find out who we are.
—Tobias Wolff
Topics: Perseverance, Persistence
Everything has to be pulling weight in a short story for it to be really of the first order.
—Tobias Wolff
Topics: Weight
I recall that my workshop leaders were tactful in their ways of acquainting me with my shortcomings as a writer. So much so that I hardly realized they were doing it. I want always to keep that sort of thing in mind when I’m teaching. The way you get better in everything in this life is to make mistakes. Otherwise you’re probably doing it right by accident. But you have to do everything wrong before you can really start with some authority to do it right.
—Tobias Wolff
Topics: Mistakes
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Norman Mailer American Novelist, Journalist
Lloyd Alexander American Writer
George R. R. Martin American Writer
Jonathan Lethem American Novelist, Essayist
Jeffrey Eugenides American Novelist
Anthony Bourdain American Chef, TV Personality
Orson Scott Card American Author