Val McDermid Quotes
It was a bit unimaginable when I began that I'd ever get to 25 books. But it was also unimaginable how much crime-writing would have changed.
Quotes to Explore
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The writer may very well serve a movement of history as its mouthpiece, but he cannot of course create it.
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In the case of my book, I don't think it's really the coming-out gay novel that everyone really needed, even though it was received as such. The boy is too creepy, he betrays his teacher, the only adult man with whom he's enjoyed a sexual experience, etc.
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The clash of civilizations or the clash between Islam and the West may be cliches. But there is an even bigger cliche around: that this clash actually goes on within Islam, between reformists and fanatics.
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The thing I find frustrating about rock music is, how different can you make an acoustic drum kit sound, an electric guitar and vocals? It's very stuck, whereas with electronic music, new sounds are being created.
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I grew up in uptown Jamaica; I went to a rich school. I was raised by my mother and my stepfather; they made sure education came before anything. I had a good childhood, grew up spending time with my bigger brothers and sisters. My people are good people. I was exposed to a lot of different kinds of people and culture.
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Morality is the basis of things and truth is the substance of all morality.
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You know what black hatred women feel toward me as soon as they see me, until I return inside my shell, they use every possible weapon. As soon as a generous man tries to help me out, a woman is here to hold his arm and prevent him from acting.
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You need the audience to go on the ride with you. You can't just isolate them.
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One of the enduring problems with certain societies in the world - and this is certainly true of a lot of places in the Middle East - is that the capacity for self-governance and self-organizing just isn't there. It has to do with history.
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The universe will put signposts in your life. You can either ignore them or embrace them. You can choose and wish for all the things you want, but the things that are coming to you, you will never be able to hide from and the things that you want so bad that are not supposed to be for you for whatever reason, they'll never come to you.
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That's really my goal now. I'm trying to be a positive role model to my kids and to just enjoy this ride, because it's hard. It's hard to enjoy it when you're in it.
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To mistrust science and deny the validity of scientific method is to resign your job as a human. You'd better go look for work as a plant or wild animal.
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I really appreciate family. I really can't imagine life without them!
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I don't think any actors love taking their clothes off on film, unless you're an exhibitionist, which I'm certainly not.
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Were women meant to do everything - work and have babies?
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My workouts include aerobic exercise for a healthy cardiovascular system; strength training to maintain muscle tone and bone density; core strength exercise for a stable mid-section; and stretching to maintain mobility.
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One of the best parts of being a writer means that researching all kinds of cool stuff actually counts as work!
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For gay people, we learned about our lives in secrecy and a lot of fear.
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I can cry like Roger. It's just a shame I can't play like him.
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I think the hardest stories we tell are always the ones about ourselves. And as a journalist, I was taught that I'm never supposed to put myself in the story. So I spent what, 11, 12 years of my life writing about other people so I don't have to face my own life.
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If you are a young writer today, it's very hard.
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Leadership is intangible, and therefore no weapon ever designed can replace it.
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My advice for writers is to get a good day job. It takes the pressure off writing if you have a job that pays the bills.
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It was a bit unimaginable when I began that I'd ever get to 25 books. But it was also unimaginable how much crime-writing would have changed.
