People who light up like Roman candles come down in the dark very quickly.

Irwin Shaw

People Light Dark Quickly

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An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment the world hands out and the punishment he inflicts upon himself.

Irwin Shaw

Ability Absolutely Almost Both

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Every novelist has a different purpose - and often several purposes which might even be contradictory.

Irwin Shaw

Contradictory Different Even Every

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I am forced to say that I have many fiercer critics than myself.

Irwin Shaw

Am Critics Forced I Am

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A writer has to live with a sense of honor.

Irwin Shaw

Honor Live Sense Writer

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All writers are the same - they forget a thousand good reviews and remember one bad one.

Irwin Shaw

All Writers Bad Bad One Forget

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I reach my readers regardless of what the critics have written.

Irwin Shaw

Critics Reach Readers Regardless

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My views naturally have mellowed. Most of the critics have been more or less nice to me.

Irwin Shaw

Been Critics Less Me

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Posterity makes the judgments. There are going to be a lot of surprises in store for everybody.

Irwin Shaw

Everybody Going Judgments Lot

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The romantic idea is that everybody around a writer must suffer for his talent. I think a writer is a citizen of humanity, part of his nation, part of his family. He may have to make some compromises.

Irwin Shaw

Around Citizen Compromises Everybody

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When I started out in the early 1930s, there were a great many magazines that published short stories. Unfortunately, the short-story market has dwindled to almost nothing.

Irwin Shaw

1930s Almost Almost Nothing Early

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Writers of fiction, when they begin, are more likely to try the short form.

Irwin Shaw

Begin Fiction Form Likely

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Writing for the theater, you find yourself living a nocturnal life.

Irwin Shaw

Find Life Living Nocturnal

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You have to expect the raps when you have achieved popularity as a writer.

Irwin Shaw

Achieved Expect Popularity Writer

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You must avoid giving hostages to fortune, like getting an expensive wife, an expensive house, and a style of living that never lets you aford the time to take the chance to write what you wish.

Irwin Shaw

Avoid Chance Expensive Fortune

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If you're young enough, any kind of writing you do for a short period of time is a marvelous apprenticeship.

Irwin Shaw

Any Apprenticeship Enough Kind

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My attitudes have changed, but somebody would have to read all my books to find out how they have.

Irwin Shaw

Attitudes Books Changed Find

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I imagine that my characters have become much more complicated than when I first began, which would be normal.

Irwin Shaw

Become Began Characters Complicated

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I'm not as hopeful as I was when I was young.

Irwin Shaw

Hopeful When Was Young

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Kennedy was a man who liked writers and even I got invited to the White House.

Irwin Shaw

Even Got House Invited

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Ernest Hemingway did a great deal toward making the writer an acceptable public figure; obviously, he was no sissy.

Irwin Shaw

Acceptable Deal Did Ernest Hemingway

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I don't think that the writer is regarded as a freak by Americans.

Irwin Shaw

American Freak Regarded Think

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In Europe, a writer is supposed to improve up until he's about 75.

Irwin Shaw

About Europe He Improve

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Isaac Singer was born in Poland and doesn't write in English. Still, he's an American.

Irwin Shaw

American Born English He

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Curiously, the United States is full of writers who have one big work in their life and that's all.

Irwin Shaw

Big Curiously Full Life

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The great writers just kept bringing them out. They didn't care if they repeated themselves.

Irwin Shaw

Bringing Care Great Just

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I've gone on the wagon, but my body doesn't believe it.

Irwin Shaw

Believe Body Gone Wagon

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I never drink while I'm working, but after a few glasses I get ideas that would never have occurred to me dead sober.

Irwin Shaw

After Dead Drink Few

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I never show anything to anybody until I've finished it.

Irwin Shaw

Anybody Anything Finished Never

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The writer works in a lonely way.

Irwin Shaw

Lonely Way Works Writer

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In a novel, it's hard to keep track of everybody.

Irwin Shaw

Everybody Hard Keep Novel

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The last paragraph, in which you tell what the story is about, is almost always best left out.

Irwin Shaw

About Almost Always Best

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A writer is a human being. He has to live with a sense of honor.

Irwin Shaw

Being He Honor Human

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A good editor understands what you're talking and writing about and doesn't meddle too much.

Irwin Shaw

About Editor Good Meddle

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I haven't stuck to any formula. Most great writers stick to the same style, but I wanted to be more various.

Irwin Shaw

Any Formula Great More

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In the theater, characters have to cut the umbilical cord from the writer and talk in their own voices.

Irwin Shaw

Characters Cord Cut Own

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Writing is finally play, and there's no reason why you should get paid for playing.

Irwin Shaw

Finally Get No Reason Paid

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No writer need feel sorry for himself if he writes and enjoys it, even if he doesn't get paid.

Irwin Shaw

Even Feel Get He

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Writing is like a contact sport, like football. You can get hurt, but you enjoy it.

Irwin Shaw

Contact Enjoy Football Get

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I cringe when critics say I'm a master of the popular novel. What's an unpopular novel?

Irwin Shaw

Cringe Critics Master Novel

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There are too many books I haven't read, too many places I haven't seen, too many memories I haven't kept long enough.

Irwin Shaw

Books Enough Kept Long

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"41 Irwin Shaw Quotes & Sayings

People who light up like Roman candles come down in the dark very quickly.

Irwin Shaw

An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment the world hands out and the punishment he inflicts upon himself.

Irwin Shaw

Every novelist has a different purpose - and often several purposes which might even be contradictory.

Irwin Shaw

Irwin Shaw

A writer has to live with a sense of honor.

Irwin Shaw

Irwin Shaw

I reach my readers regardless of what the critics have written.

Irwin Shaw

My views naturally have mellowed. Most of the critics have been more or less nice to me.

Irwin Shaw

Irwin Shaw

The romantic idea is that everybody around a writer must suffer for his talent. I think a writer is a citizen of humanity, part of his nation, part of his family. He may have to make some compromises.

Irwin Shaw

When I started out in the early 1930s, there were a great many magazines that published short stories. Unfortunately, the short-story market has dwindled to almost nothing.

Irwin Shaw

Writers of fiction, when they begin, are more likely to try the short form.

Irwin Shaw

Irwin Shaw

You have to expect the raps when you have achieved popularity as a writer.

Irwin Shaw

You must avoid giving hostages to fortune, like getting an expensive wife, an expensive house, and a style of living that never lets you aford the time to take the chance to write what you wish.

Irwin Shaw

If you're young enough, any kind of writing you do for a short period of time is a marvelous apprenticeship.

Irwin Shaw

Irwin Shaw

I imagine that my characters have become much more complicated than when I first began, which would be normal.

Irwin Shaw

I'm not as hopeful as I was when I was young.

Irwin Shaw

Kennedy was a man who liked writers and even I got invited to the White House.

Irwin Shaw

Ernest Hemingway did a great deal toward making the writer an acceptable public figure; obviously, he was no sissy.

Irwin Shaw

I don't think that the writer is regarded as a freak by Americans.

Irwin Shaw

In Europe, a writer is supposed to improve up until he's about 75.

Irwin Shaw

Isaac Singer was born in Poland and doesn't write in English. Still, he's an American.

Irwin Shaw

Curiously, the United States is full of writers who have one big work in their life and that's all.

Irwin Shaw

The great writers just kept bringing them out. They didn't care if they repeated themselves.

Irwin Shaw

I've gone on the wagon, but my body doesn't believe it.

Irwin Shaw

I never drink while I'm working, but after a few glasses I get ideas that would never have occurred to me dead sober.

Irwin Shaw

Irwin Shaw

The writer works in a lonely way.

Irwin Shaw

In a novel, it's hard to keep track of everybody.

Irwin Shaw

The last paragraph, in which you tell what the story is about, is almost always best left out.

Irwin Shaw

Irwin Shaw

Irwin Shaw

I haven't stuck to any formula. Most great writers stick to the same style, but I wanted to be more various.

Irwin Shaw

In the theater, characters have to cut the umbilical cord from the writer and talk in their own voices.

Irwin Shaw

Writing is finally play, and there's no reason why you should get paid for playing.

Irwin Shaw

No writer need feel sorry for himself if he writes and enjoys it, even if he doesn't get paid.

Irwin Shaw

Writing is like a contact sport, like football. You can get hurt, but you enjoy it.

Irwin Shaw

I cringe when critics say I'm a master of the popular novel. What's an unpopular novel?

Irwin Shaw

There are too many books I haven't read, too many places I haven't seen, too many memories I haven't kept long enough.

Irwin Shaw

Irwin Shaw Quotes & Sayings