Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft. I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren't even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they're doing it.

Writing is about hypnotizing yourself into believing in yourself, getting some work done, then unhypnotizing yourself and going over the material coldly.

Her purse was a weight, ballast; it tethered her to the earth as her mind floated away.

For me, Jesus is my cleft in the rock. He is my safest friend, my safe totally loving accepting big brother.

He got me a cup of tea with honey, toast with honey, yogurt with honey, like I was John the Baptist with the flu.

The reason I never give up hope is because everything is so basically hopeless.

The reason 'help' is such a great prayer is that God is the gift of desperation. When you're in despair, you're teachable.