"The world is full of other people’s ideas. Don’t get stuck in them."

"Some things are just bad. Some things are just evil. Sometimes there's no explanation."

"Revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done."

"I don't believe in writer's block. I think it's a made-up malady. I think it's a way for people to feel bad about themselves."

"I go out to my little office, where I've got a manuscript, and the last page I was happy with is on top. I read that, and it's like getting on a taxiway. I'm able to go through and revise it and put m…"