“if you are satisfied with your first draft you are not writing, you are excreting”

“To be successful, you have to be able to relate to people; they have to be satisfied with your personality to be able to do buisness with you and to build a relationship with mutual trust.”

“I started the first drafts of the book during my sophomore year of college. I wasn’t thinking at all about kids at the time. But I was thinking. A lot. About everything. I wish I could capture that head-space again; everything meant something to me in college. Every leaf, every sound, every lecture, every textbook. It’s like I was on drugs, 24/7. I am glad I was able to pair that ceaseless pondering with plenty of time to write. What came of that time was the first draft of the novel, a lengthy, unnecessarily angst-driven pile of crap. Years later, with Zoloft, I approached the novel with a more level head, and came away with a much, much better novel. My advice to writers, I suppose, is write your novel when you feel like shit; edit when you feel great.”

“If you can't change your mind, you can't change anything.”

“Stay true to yourself and listen to your inner voice. It will lead you to your dream.”

“The heart," he said, "is half criminal. The trick is to be vigilant. To keep your eyes open, so if you get a look at this side of yourself you can make a positive ID.”

“All you need to paint is a few tools, a little instruction, and a vision in your mind.”