“Examine every word you put on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose.”

“Fear is felt by writers at every level. Anxiety accompanies the first word they put on paper and the last.”

“Find a purpose to serve, not a lifestyle to live.”

“We are put on this earth for a purpose and it isn't to serve ourselves.”

“In addition to its role in facilitating change, conflict serves a number of other constructive functions—as a releaser of tension, a promoter of growth, a regulator of distance between people, a path to intimacy and to personal gain, and a preventer of stagnation. The intention here is not to convince you to go looking for opportunities to argue at every turn, but rather to help you realize that what makes fighting so intolerable is the belief that it serves no useful purpose. It is extremely important when you find yourself embroiled in controversy to ask yourself what functions the conflict is serving.”

“You can only write by putting words on a paper one at a time.”