Jen Kirkman Quotes
Don't overpack your carry-on. You're never going to read that second book or that fourth magazine.
Quotes to Explore
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I've made up little mantras for myself, catchphrases from a screenwriting book that doesn't exist. One is 'Write the movie you'd pay to go see.' Another is 'Never let a character tell me something that the camera can show me.'
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The first thing my writing ever earned me wasn't an advance on a book; it wasn't a fee for an article or anything like that. It was, in fact, a residency at Hedgebrook Farm.
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Hands down, the biggest thrill is to get a letter from a kid saying, I loved your book. Will you write me another one?
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One half who graduate from college never read another book.
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For me, the whole process involves envisioning this book in my head as I'm working.
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I must be like the princess who felt the pea through seven mattresses; each book is a pea.
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I read a lot of comic books and any kind of thing I could find. One day, a teacher found me. She grabbed my comic book and tore it up. I was really upset, but then she brought in a pile of books from her own library. That was the best thing that ever happened to me.
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After 20 years, a million written words, and nine rejected novels, I finally landed a book contract.
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I know from an editor's point of view or a publisher's point of view it's easier to slot me into a particular niche. But I know that I'd be bored unless I wrote a book that in some senses was a challenge.
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I'm a stand-up comic. I'm always doing dates; it's just that, if I'm working on a project or I'm busy, I can't get out on the road or book any shows. Since the beginning of my career, I'm usually out for at least 10-15 dates throughout the year. If I have time, then I try to get at least 30-40 dates.
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It's easier to release an ebook than a print book.
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I like to be left alone when I'm not working.
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I love writing two narratives! I think concurrent storylines are my favorite way to write a book.
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I think that whenever a book is not a challenge, I'm telling the wrong story.
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I think my printing to this day looks like the printing right out of a comic book. Actually, I always wanted to be in a comic book. I watched cartoons when I was a kid, too, and both comics and cartoons lit fire in my imagination. This realm holds a lot of interest for me, a lot of passion for me. So to be comic-ized, yeah, that's cool.
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We should all feel confident in our intelligence. By the way, intelligence to me isn't just being book-smart or having a college degree; it's trusting your gut instincts, being intuitive, thinking outside the box, and sometimes just realizing that things need to change and being smart enough to change it.
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I have two daughters: One an open book, one a locked box. So the question of privacy is a challenging one. How much do kids need? How much should we give? How do we prepare them to live in a world where the very notion of privacy opens a generational chasm?
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In a typical history book, black Americans are mentioned in the context of slavery or civil rights. There's so much more to the story.
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I did a book signing when we were in New York the day before yesterday. A lady came through and she was just weeping, and said, 'I wish this would have been brought out sooner, my sister is in prison for suffocating her child.'
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With the decline of America's global preeminence, weaker countries will be more susceptible to the assertive influence of major regional powers.
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Things that are unique and rare will cost a lot of money. Houses in East Hampton and Malibu will cost a lot of money because there just aren't that many of them. The value of sports has appreciated because it's the only thing that people have to watch live.
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The first year I was sober was probably the worst year of my life. My immune system was screwed. I completely isolated myself. I was weak all the time. I didn't know who I was.
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If one can create a purposeful, meaningful life then there's no room for drugs or alcohol. It's not on the list anymore.
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Don't overpack your carry-on. You're never going to read that second book or that fourth magazine.
