Literary Birthday – 20 March – Emily Giffin

Happy Birthday, Emily Giffin, born 20 March 1972.

Emily Giffin Quotes

1. I think it’s important to try to be present with whatever it is you’re doing. And if you can’t be present, take a break.
2. You might aspire to get paid for what you do, but you are a writer if you write… As a corollary, stop worrying that you won’t be good enough, or comparing yourself to others. Don’t let the idea of a novel overwhelm or intimidate you so much that you are too afraid to begin. (Emily Giffin On Writing)
3. A theme in a lot of my books – and in my own life – is making choices that you feel you should make, or what society wants you to make, as opposed to what is truly right for you.
4. I find flawed characters much more interesting than perfect ones and enjoy the challenge of making readers root for them in spite of their unsympathetic path and destructive choices. Life is about the grey areas. Things are seldom black and white, even when we wish they were and think they should be, and I like exploring this nuanced terrain. (Emily Giffin On Writing)
5. I’ve always been intrigued by the power of secrets. When is it justifiable to keep them from the ones we love? And does keeping them irrevocably change who we are?
6. It’s a funny thing – when I’m crazed with work, spending time with my children relaxes me. Yet, at the end of a long weekend with them, the very thing I need to relax is a little work and time away from them!
7. I never outline my novels before I write. I have a vague sense of beginning, middle, and end, but for me, it is a very character-driven process. As I get to know my characters, and the relationships between them form, the plot evolves accordingly. (Emily Giffin On Writing)
8. I usually write in my attic office—two floors above the chaos created by my three children. When I get stir crazy, I transfer to a coffee shop or bookstore. I don’t have many rituals—but I always start out my writing day with a cup of coffee and find that my work is the strongest in the morning or in the middle of the night. (Emily Giffin On Writing)
9. I believe that writing is mostly about hard work, perseverance, keeping faith in yourself—which, I believe, is true of most things in life worth pursuing. (Emily Giffin On Writing)

Emily Giffin is an American author of women’s fiction. After practising as a lawyer at a Manhattan firm, she moved to London to write full time. She has written 10 New York Times bestselling novels, including the titles Something Borrowed and Something Blue. She has been called a “modern day Jane Austen” (Vanity Fair) and a “dependably down-to-earth storyteller” (New York Times). Her latest books are Meant to Be and The Summer Pact. The books have been translated into 31 languages, with over 12 million copies sold worldwide. In addition, five of her novels have been optioned for the big screen and are in various stages of development. Follow her on Instagram.

Source for Image: Emily Giffin Website Photo credit: Harold Daniels

by Amanda Patterson

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