“If a writer starts worring about what he or she has left out or forgotten, they might not be able to write even a single line.”

“It seems that the fiction writer has a revolting attachment to the poor, for even when he writes about the rich, he is more concerned with what they lack than with what they have.”

“Art glows with faith even in its weakest parts. At every moment, writing is an act of self-confidence – the sheerest, most determined, most stubborn self-belief. You CAN have faith and doubt at the same time; the most insecure writer on the planet has faith that shines just as bright as her doubt, and she deserves props for that. It might be hidden deep, she might not feel it and you might not see it, but it’s in there, or she wouldn’t be able to write.”

“A writer is an organism that will go on writing even after its heart has been cut out.”

“A writer should write what he has to say and not speak it.”

“The writer must write what he has to say, not speak it.”