James Lasdun Quotes

I have always thought that writers come with any variety of attributes. Some are capable and some aren't.

I never think that any writer can teach someone how to write.

We like to think about how smart we are. But I think talent as a writer is hard-wired in, it's all there, at least the basic elements of it. You can't change it any more than you can choose whether to be right handed or left handed.

Good writing of course requires talent, and no one can teach you to have talent.

Writers - all writers, even screenwriters - like to make their mark. I don't think many screenwriters can write. They pass as writers.

I think you can be taught to write. You can't be taught to be a good writer. For that, you have to bring something to it, yourself, something that can't be given to you.

I can still put down some pretty nasty stuff on paper, which is what I enjoy doing.

Early on, it's good to develop the ability to write. Learning to write is a useful exercise, even if what you're writing about is not that relevant.

However great a man's natural talent may be, the act of writing cannot be learned all at once.

I have always been able to write on the spot. It is a talent that I guess comes naturally.

English of course is your major tool, but it is not nearly so important as other aspects of writing for example you have to have some natural ability you can't buy it no one puts it there you're born with it.

Sean's a great, great writer.

I didn't set out to write. It was just something I always could do. Teachers would say, 'you really have this gift,' but I just didn't care.

I always had a thing for writing. Even when I was in school, I was always good at writing.

You can't teach somebody how to be a good writer.

There are probably many, many people who are better writers than me.

I'm very happy with the way I write. I think I do it good. But I've never really considered myself a writer.

No, you're either born a writer, a storyteller, or you're not.

Writing is not an unknown territory for me.

I think writing is such a great talent, and if I was better, I would love to be a writer.

I'm not a writer. I think I can write short stories and poetry, but film writing, brilliant film writing, is a talent - you can't just do it like that.

I've figured out in the course of my life that the one thing I'm good at doing is writing books, and it would be crazy to trade that in for something else.

I work at the sentences. Many of the things people find distinctive about my writing, I think of as natural.

That's something that is almost accidental at the beginning of a career, but the more you write, the more trained you are to recognize the little signals.

I think some aspects of writing can be taught. Obviously, you can't teach vision or talent. But you can help with comfort.