Sefi Atta Quotes

• People don’t fear the wind until it fells a tree. Then, they say it’s too much.

  Sefi Atta

  Wind, People, Tree

  Sefi Atta (2012). “Everything Good Will Come”, p.73, Interlink Publishing

  6 Copy quote

• You don't need attention to write. All you need is passion for your work and an overwhelming desire to tell a story you genuinely care about. Readers can sense your sincerity and it separates you from pretenders.

  Sefi Atta

  Passion, Writing, Overwhelming Desire

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  11 Copy quote

• I never wanted to be a writer; I just had stories I needed to tell.

  Sefi Atta

  Stories, Needed, Wanted

  Source: www.percontra.net

  7 Copy quote

• I don't have much of an imagination, but I have a mind bank of details, which I play with. It's how I daydream, so writing like that is natural for me.

  Sefi Atta

  Writing, Play, Imagination

  Source: www.percontra.net

  10 Copy quote

• I never wanted to be a writer; I just had stories I wanted to share so I learnt how to write and kept going. If I could sing or paint, I would.

  Sefi Atta

  Writing, Stories, Paint

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• I read Macbeth as a secondary student in Nigeria and it was like an African play to me. It had all the right elements - witches, kings and assassinations.

  Sefi Atta

  Kings, Play, Elements

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• What works for me is that I read widely and stay focused on my writing. I'm no longer concerned about what happens in the literary marketplace. It is distracting and can lead to discontent.

  Sefi Atta

  Writing, Stay Focused, Discontent

  Source: www.percontra.net

  8 Copy quote

• I don't remember being a keen reader, but apparently I was. My aunt told me that whenever I was teased for reading, I would say, "To each his own."

  Sefi Atta

  Reading, Aunt, Remember

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• I don't have a schedule, but I can write for hours non-stop. If I'm drafting a book, I try and do a chapter a day. I dislike first drafts. Revision is a lot more fun, but it takes years.

  Sefi Atta

  Fun, Book, Writing

  Source: www.percontra.net

  4 Copy quote

• For all forms, writing dialogue is almost like writing music. I pay close attention to rhythms and tones.

  Sefi Atta

  Writing, Attention, Pay

  Source: www.percontra.net

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• I have to say that writing about my writing process is more daunting than writing non-fiction.

  Sefi Atta

  Writing, Fiction, Process

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• I'm addicted to writing.

  Sefi Atta

  Writing

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• At some point, practicality requires that you reach out to people in the business. You have to take care of business if you value your work.

  Sefi Atta

  People, Care, Reach Out

  Source: www.percontra.net

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• I couldn't decide on a title for my first novel and my editor came up with Everything Good Will Come. After that, I thought I should name my own books.A Bit of Difference seems just right.

  Sefi Atta

  Book, Editors, Names

  4 Copy quote

• I'm disciplined about writing. I get up every day knowing I have to produce work. I'm less concerned about other aspects of the job, such as the prizes and promotions. Promoting my work can be awkward, unless I feel sociable enough. Prizes encourage me to work harder on my next project.

  Sefi Atta

  Jobs, Hard Work, Writing

  Source: www.percontra.net

  4 Copy quote

• I can't say L'Etranger influenced me to write, but for the first time I considered the possibility of telling a story that resembled my own experiences in my own voice.

  Sefi Atta

  Writing, Voice, Stories

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• I get stage fright with short stories. For me it feels like standup comedy: kill or die. I'm more confident when I begin a novel because I know I have space to fail.

  Sefi Atta

  Space, Stories, Comedy

  Source: www.percontra.net

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• I'm always working on something new and while I'm working, I'm absorbed with my characters, their conflicts,my language and settings. I'm in another place and it is a shock to come out and consider my previous works.

  Sefi Atta

  Character, Language, Conflict

  4 Copy quote

• I enjoy writing plays most. I haven't written a radio play in a while and I don't write short stories anymore because the process of submitting them depressed me. I really enjoy revising novels, but drafting them can be a pain.

  Sefi Atta

  Pain, Writing, Play

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  4 Copy quote

• My accountancy experience could come in handy if ever I find myself in the right position. For now, I'm very happy to write.

  Sefi Atta

  Writing, Very Happy, Handy

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• 've had notebooks, but they are nondescript. All I care about is that they fit in my hand. I scribble down ideas. The problem is my best ideas come while I'm driving or showering.

  Sefi Atta

  Notebook, Hands, Ideas

  Source: www.percontra.net

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• I always begin [a novel] with outlines, but they change and so do my endings and beginnings.

  Sefi Atta

  Novel, Outlines

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• I was my class playwright and I wrote plays set in villages with kings and chiefs.My plays were about treason and betrayals. If they were influenced by Macbeth, they were also influenced by Nigerian plays I had seen and Village Headmaster, a television drama series I had watched as a child.

  Sefi Atta

  Kings, Children, Betrayal

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• I don't write non-fiction because I get bored. Some of my writing is autobiographical, but not the way readers imagine. I use my memory of settings, events and people. I weave history into my stories, but my narratives are made up.

  Sefi Atta

  Memories, Writing, Bored

  Source: www.percontra.net

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• I had stopped writing plays set in villages because they were not relevant to my experiences and I knew my English classmates wouldn't appreciate them.

  Sefi Atta

  Writing, Play, Appreciate

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