I learned that comedy is born out of strong characters. I won’t begin writing a character until I have a clear take on them. Maria Semple Read Quote
I never understood the concept of a fluffy summer read. For me, summer reading means beaches, long train rides and layovers in foreign airports. All of which call for escaping into really long books. Maria Semple Read Quote
My father was a screenwriter, and I kind of grew up in that world. I always had a mind for characters and dialogue, and my head was filled with that stuff, so it seemed like a good place to start. Maria Semple Read Quote
I think that’s the most important job of a novelist – to bring authority to their writing. Maria Semple Read Quote
After decades spent in rewrite rooms surrounded by other shouting writers, I discovered that I work best alone. I like being in charge of my time, working out the problems according to my own rhythms and being able to nap. Maria Semple Read Quote
After decades spent in rewrite rooms surrounded by other shouting writers, I discovered that I work best alone. I like being in charge of my time, working out the problems according to my own rhythms and being able to nap. That’s a big one, the napping on demand! Maria Semple Read Quote
I attended TED in 2007 and 2008, the last two years the conference was held in Monterey. Maria Semple Read Quote
