Margaret Atwood

You can't have a good story without a bad guy.

The world is full of wonderful things, if you know where to look.

Reading and writing are the two most important things you can do.

I'm not a guru. I'm just a writer who's been around for a while.

The past is never dead. It's not even past.

The only way to write is to write.

I'm not interested in writing about happy people. Happy people are boring.

The future is not a destination, it's a direction.

Every writer is a vampire.

Don't ever confuse a good story with a true story.

I'm a cynical optimist. I believe things will get better, but I don't think it's going to be easy.

The pen is mightier than the sword, but only if you know how to use it.

I think of writing as an act of faith.

When you're a writer, you're always eavesdropping.

I'm not a fan of happy endings. I like ambiguous endings.

The only way to deal with a bad situation is to make it worse.

I'm not a political writer. I'm a writer who writes about politics.

The creative act is a subversive act.

I think humor is a very serious thing.

The only thing that matters is the story.