Quitting doesn't enter my mind.

I'd rather die while I'm living then live while I'm dead.

You get religion as your hair turns grey.

You've been acting like Jesus owes you a favor, but he's a little smart for you to fool.

That to me is the way any good romantic would look at his life: Live it first, then write it down before you go.

Nobody else cares about you at the beginning of your career except you-and, of course, your mother. Your mother is there because that is what mothers do.

Whether it's a letter, song lyrics, part of a novel, or instructions on how to fix a kitchen sink, it's writing. You keep your craft honed, you acquire the discipline to finish things. You turn into a self-taskmaster.