The purpose of the first draft is not to get it right, but to get it written.

I was reading for understanding. I wanted to do to a reader what Salinger did for me.

Love is anticipation and memory, uncertainty and longing. It’s unreasonable, of course. Nothing begins with so much excitement and hope and pleasure as love, except maybe writing a story. And nothing fails as often, except writing stories. And like a story, love must be troubled to be interesting.

I write with a fountain pen. And then revise word by word and line by line so that the first draft of a scene is usually the tenth or so draft.

I lost my job and started painting houses with a friend. The marriage had ended about the same time the career did.

Reading is also a creative activity if you're doing it right. You can learn more from a story that's left the tracks than from a successful story.

I revise like crazy. I start revising before the pen hits the paper.