Literary Birthday – 11 June – Beck Dorey-Stein

Happy Birthday, Beck Dorey-Stein, born on 11 June 1986.

Beck Dorey-Stein Quotes

1. My favourite books are all novels, and my go-to genre is contemporary fiction, so in that sense, it seems like a natural evolution. But I’m constantly struck with imposter’s syndrome and concern I’m not doing this thing right because I didn’t go to graduate school and because it takes me so many drafts to figure out what I’m trying to say – all the stuff I tell aspiring writers to ignore. (Reese’s Book Club)
2. At the end of the day, if you write, you’re a writer. So get writing – for 10 minutes, with a timer, if that makes it seem doable – and go from there. (Reese’s Book Club)
3. Even before I became a mom three years ago, I had to kind of trick myself into writing by saying, okay, I only have 20 minutes, ready, set, go. And then that 20 minutes might turn into 45 minutes, or 4 hours, and I might write 2,000 words or agonize over a single paragraph that entire time. (Reading In Pockets)
4. If I make too big a deal of starting a writing session, I psych myself out and get intimidated so I try to keep it casual. (Reading In Pockets)
5. A friend once told me that so much of writing doesn’t involve writing — and that’s now what I tell myself whenever I need reassurance about my lack of actual writing. But it’s also true. Walking and running are critical pieces of writing for me — physically moving through an idea or a plot point or a character’s decision.
6. I think, by nature, I’m a pantser, but I’m learning to appreciate planning more and more — in life and in writing. (Reading In Pockets)
7. I’ve tried listening to podcasts about writing but then I just get in my head about breaking certain rules. My tried and true inspiration has always been the same — books. A talented writer telling a story they needed to share is a contagious kind of magic. (Reading In Pockets)

Beck Dorey-Stein is an American author who served as a stenographer in the White House from 2012 to 2017. She is the author of the non-fiction book From the Corner of the Oval: A Memoir, which recounts her experiences while providing stenography services, and the novels Rock the Boat and Spectacular Things. Follow her on Instagram.

Source for photograph: Author’s website, Lawrence Jackson

by Amanda Patterson
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