The Michigan-born Terry McMillan’s work influentially foregrounded contemporary black women and their lives. Her books include Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and Getting to Happy. Four of her novels have been adapted for film and television.
“Write as if you’re telling a story to a friend.”
“Write as if no one is ever going to read it.”
“Don’t write to compete with other writers.”
“Don’t edit while writing a draft or you’ll never finish.”
“Writing is my shelter. I don’t hide behind the words; I use them to dig inside my heart to find the truth.”
“As a writer, you get to bring attention to something without preaching. I don’t believe in being didactic. So if you dramatize something, you automatically bring attention to it if people read it.”
“Few writers are willing to admit writing is autobiographical.”
“Don’t worry about how pretty the writing sounds, how lilting it is, and the imagery, and the metaphor, all that. Most readers don’t care. It’s the people in your book that matter.”