“You cannot write for children. They're much too complicated. You can only write books that are of interest to them. ”

“In general, [. . .] novel-theorists have nothing very urgent or interesting to say about literature. Why then do they write when they have nothing to say? Because the ambitious teacher can only rise in the academic bureaucracy by writing at complicated length about writing that has already been much written about. The result of all this book-chat cannot interest anyone who knows literature while those who would like to learn something about books can only be mystified and discouraged by these commentaries.”

“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”

“Write only if you cannot live without writing. Write only what you alone can write.”

“If a book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”

“You cannot write unless you write much.”