“Writers often torture themselves trying to get the words right. Sometimes you must lower your expectations and just finish it.”

“To be a writer, you must write. To be a published writer you must finish what you write and then get what you've written in front of the outside world.”

“The writer is both a sadist and a masochist. We create people we love, and then we torture them. The more we love them, and the more cleverly we torture them along the lines of their greatest vulnerability and fear, the better the story. Sometimes we try to protect them from getting booboos that are too big. Don’t. This is your protagonist, not your kid.”

“When you face writer's block, just lower your standards and keep going.”

“As a writer, you must truly possess a love for words.""Yes, that's right," I agreed."I've noticed that some authors favor particular words, making frequent use of them. Do you have a favorite?"I nodded assuredly and shared my answer. "BECAUSE."My interviewer looked surprised, as though he'd expected an impressive adjective or some rare verb. "That's your favorite word? Why?"I tried not to smirk. "Because.”

“Sometimes a writer, like an acrobat, must try a trick that is too much for him.”