Mother used to say it meant Christopher was a nice name because it was a story about being kind and helpful, but I do not want my name to mean a story about being kind and helpful. I want my name to mean me.

The secret of contentment lay in ignoring many things completely.

As to the number of novels I've abandoned... I shudder to think. I have thrown away five completed novels, and that's a gruesome enough figure. But not necessarily a waste of effort.

... why I like timetables, because they make sure I don't get lost in time.

Most of my work consisted of crossing out. Crossing out was the secret of all good writing.

Show me the artist anywhere who's had an utterly stable mental life, and I'll buy you hot dinners for the rest of your life.

I've written 16 children's books and five unpublished novels. Some of the latter were breathtakingly bad.