You chose to be a writer. Because you don’t really live in this world. You observe it. You interpret it. You feed off of it. And then you sit and you put words together so that the poor suckers who do live in the world can see what they look like, who they are, why they hurt. And you chose it because you want love and attention and barrels of money. It’s f***ing insane. But those are the only things that can fill that hole in your soul.[to Harry]
There are fewer talented writers in the world than there are astronauts.
No writer worth his salt can resist a good story, just as no politician can resist making promises he can’t keep.
What do they all think I do, C.Z.? I write. I am always listening. It doesn’t just drift off into outer space. I am recording, because this is the way of our world.
There are two kinds of folks who sit around thinking about how to kill people. Psychopaths and mystery writers.
If you want to be a writer, or any person of note, actually, you must realize the importance of that which is overheard.[to Kate]
Every novel is a struggle between the writer and the story, and the writer always tried to hold on, but at a certain point, he had to let go and let the story tell itself.
As Borges said, “With every goodbye, you learn.”[Professor Lucas Damon]As Steinbeck said, “Farewell has a sweet sound of reluctance. Goodbye is short and final.”[Blaire Bennett]As Hemingway said, “I wonder what this gun tastes like.”[Ted]