“No one is asking, let alone demanding, that you write. The world is not waiting with bated breath for your article or book. Whether or not you get a single word on paper, the sun will rise, the earth will spin, the universe will expand. Writing is forever and always a choice - your choice.”

“Life is a book and you are its author. You detemine its plot and pace and you--only you--turn its pages.”

“It’s a choice, writing is. One that belongs to you and me. We get to choose it (or not) every single day. So whether or not the world hears your message — whether you leave the impact you were born to make — is entirely up to you.”

“The universe with its endless possibilities is waiting for you to ask...ask for what you want.”

“You obsess (but of course you obsess) until the joy is gone from that thing you'd loved, until your fury overwhelms your passion, until you no longer know how to sit with your back against a tree and write poetry that no one will ever see.”

“You must dedicate your whole life to this idea: you are the caretaker of every single person on this ship. They are your responsibility. You can never show weakness in front of them: you are their strength.You can never let them see you in despair: you are their hope.You must always be everything to everyone on board.”

“Lastly, notice your level of enthusiasm. If you had to decide right now how enthusiastic you are about being a writer, on a scale from one to ten, where one is not at all enthusiastic, and ten is extremely enthusiastic, what is your level of enthusiasm about writing?”