There are no wrong books. What's wrong is the fear of them.

I write a book at least three times-once to understand it, the second time to improve the prose, and a third to compel it to say what it still must say.

A man had to learn, it was his nature.

Space plus whatever you feel equals more whatever you feel, marvelous for happiness, God save you otherwise.

First drafts are for learning what your novel or story is about. Revision is working with that knowledge to enlarge and enhance an idea, to re-form it.... The first draft of a book is the most uncertain-where you need guts, the ability to accept the imperfect until it is better.

Writing is a mode of being. If I write I live.

In my dreams I ate and I ate my dreams.