A Quote on Writing from Leo Tolstoy
“I have found that a story leaves a deeper impression when it is impossible to tell which side the author is on.”
~ Leo Tolstoy, 1828 – 1910
“Yes,” I thought, on first reading this quote. For me, it speaks to a writing approach where all characters and events are real and immersive, leaving the reader to judge each character by their behaviours and actions, rather than letting the authorial voice intrude.









