“You want to avoid at all costs drawing your characters on those that already exist in other works of fiction. You must learn about people from people, not from what you read. Your reading should confirm what you’ve observed in the world.”

American novelist and nonfiction writer

Anne Lamott is an American novelist and nonfiction writer. She is known for work that blends fiction with personal and reflective nonfiction, and for a voice that is direct, candid, and observant. Her writing often draws on everyday life, faith, family, addiction, recovery, and the struggles and small consolations of ordinary experience. She has built a large body of quoted material on the site, reflecting the wide reach of her public voice and the clarity of her style.