I've never given up. I've always kept going. I don't feel that I could afford to give up. That would be the beginning of the end.

One of life's minor satisfactions is forgetting.

Why is humanism not the preeminent belief of humankind?

To choose the ideal voice for a character is to give a character an ardent and vivid life, to allow him or her to speak, rather than speaking for them, in an older style of omniscient narration.

Like a flame is real enough, isn't it, while it's burning?-even if there's a time it goes out?

It's not hard to write poorly. But to write something good, it has to be revised.

Getting the first draft finished is like pushing a peanut with your nose across a very dirty floor.