“I learned to produce whether I wanted to or not. It would be easy to say oh, I have writer's block, oh, I have to wait for my muse. I don't. Chain that muse to your desk and get the job done.”

“Every time I hear writers talk about ‘the muse,’ I just want to bitch-slap them. It’s a job. Do your job.”

“For too many centuries women have been being muses to artists. I wanted to be the muse, I wanted to be the wife of the artist, but I was really trying to avoid the final issue — that I had to do the job myself.”

“I was having the surreal experience of having myself show myself around my office and bullpen.” “Oh! My desk. I could’ve sat at my desk. I could’ve sat at your desk.” “No.” “It’s a vid set.” “Even then, no.”

“Meggie Folchart: Having writer's block? Maybe I can help.Fenoglio: Oh yes, that's right. You want to be a writer, don't you?Meggie Folchart: You say that as if it's a bad thing.Fenoglio: Oh no, it's just a lonely thing. Sometimes the world you create on the page seems more friendly and alive than the world you actually live in.”

“Writer's ResolutionEnough's Enough! No more shall IPursue the Muse and scorch the pieOr dream of Authoring a bookWhen I (unhappy soul) must cook;Or burn the steak while I wool-gather,And stir my spouse into a latherInvoking words like "Darn!" and suchAnd others that are worse (Oh, much!)Concerning culinary knackWhich I (HE says) completely lack.I'll keep my mind upon my work;I'll learn each boresome cooking quirk;This day shall mark a new leaf's turning...That smell! Oh Hell! The beans are burning!”