Writing fiction is for me a fraught business, an occasion of daily dread for at least the first half of the novel, and sometimes all the way through. The work process is totally different from writing nonfiction. You have to sit down every day and make it up.

Summary

This quote, attributed to Margaret Atwood, encapsulates the anxieties and challenges of writing fiction. It highlights the author's personal experience of writing novels as a daunting and fearful endeavor. Unlike nonfiction, where the writing can be based on facts and research, fiction requires the creation of an entire world out of one's imagination. The quote emphasizes the constant need to invent and construct a narrative, suggesting that writing fiction is a distinct and demanding endeavor, frequently accompanied by apprehension and uncertainty.

Topics