Sefi Atta Quotes

#1. '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

#2. 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

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

Sefi Atta

#4. She says the lesson to learn is that the world is round, which means that if I run too fast I might end up chasing the very homeland I am running from.

Sefi Atta

#5. 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

#6. 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

#7. 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

#8. 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

#9. 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

#10. 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

#11. 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

#12. As a student in England, I studied French and English literature. I read L'Etranger and the rhythm of the novel felt familiar to me - very African.

Sefi Atta

#13. 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

#14. I'm addicted to writing.

Sefi Atta

#15. 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

#16. 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

#17. 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

#18. 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

#19. 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

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

Sefi Atta

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

Sefi Atta

#22. 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

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

Sefi Atta

#24. 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

#25. 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

#26. People don't fear the wind until it fells a tree. Then, they say it's too much.

Sefi Atta