“An author simply comes up with a hypothetical question, and then spends eight months and 80 thousands words to come up with a believable lie to answer it”

“it’s more important to struggle with a question than to come up with an answer.”

“So okay― there you are in your room with the shade down and the door shut and the plug pulled out of the base of the telephone. You've blown up your TV and committed yourself to a thousand words a day, come hell or high water. Now comes the big question: What are you going to write about? And the equally big answer: Anything you damn well want.”

“Two thousand years ago, five thousand, they didn't have a word for imagination, and faith was the best they could come up with for a pretty solemn bunch of followers.”

“Come with me somewhere. Please. I've been waiting eight months to talk to you”

“Do you realize what would happen if Moses were alive today? He'd go up to Mount Sinai, come back with the Ten Commandments, and spend the next eight years trying to get published.”