“This is a short book because most books about writing are filled with bullshit.”

“Most books about writing are filled with bullshit. Fiction writers, present company included, don’t understand very much about what they do—not why it works when it’s good, not why it doesn’t when it’s bad.”

“You have made some notes, read some writing books, and done some research. Mostly what you've done is talk about writing a book. An idea for a book is not a book; it is a waste of time. There is no singular thing that makes someone a writer, but there is one thing that makes someone a joke--talking about writing a book without doing any work.”

“For life is short and the art of writing books is very, very long.”

“Make no mistake, those who write long books have nothing to say.Of course those who write short books have even less to say.”

“Teen books are like adult books, without all the bullshit.”