When I was very young, I used to share much of what I wrote with my family, but as I got older and more self-conscious, it became a much more private process.
Meaning of the quote
When Anita Desai was young, she liked to share her writing with her family. But as she got older, she became more worried about what others thought, so she kept her writing more to herself.
About Anita Desai
Anita Desai is an acclaimed Indian novelist who has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times. She is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Guardian Prize, and has written numerous celebrated works of fiction, including The Peacock, Voices in the City, and Fire on the Mountain.
More quotes from Anita Desai
I aim to tell the truth about any subject, not a romance or fantasy, not avoid the truth.
Indian novelist, University professor
When I was very young, I used to share much of what I wrote with my family, but as I got older and more self-conscious, it became a much more private process.
Indian novelist, University professor
Usually a feeling of disappointment follows the book, because what I hoped to write is not what I actually accomplished. However, it becomes a motivation to write the next book.
Indian novelist, University professor
India is a curious place that still preserves the past, religions, and its history. No matter how modern India becomes, it is still very much an old country.
Indian novelist, University professor
Someone who wants to write should make an effort to write a little something every day. Writing in this sense is the same as athletes who practice a sport every day to keep their skills honed.
Indian novelist, University professor
Ever since I could first write I have been doing so. When I was taught how to write and read at school, I made up my mind that this was what I love to do best and this was the world I was going to occupy.
Indian novelist, University professor
Many characters in the novel are representative of types that exist in India. He represents the caste system in India with an air of superiority, the caste system in India and the people thinking that western things are better.
Indian novelist, University professor
My style of writing is to allow the story to unfold on its own. I try not to structure my work too rigidly.
Indian novelist, University professor
People think that because I write about India I must be trying to portray India in a way.
Indian novelist, University professor
The book begins and ends with the visits to give the impression of a tunnel into their ancestors and family history. I believe in going backwards into the past – I felt I was digging a tunnel back to the past.
Indian novelist, University professor
I try to trace the connection between the characters and that way a story or plot emerges.
Indian novelist, University professor