I think writer is a word without gender, and a good writer observes, absorbs, hopefully empathizes then translates that into character and story. You don’t have to do or be or have experienced, traveled to, but you have to imagine all of that, very well–and believe it completely during the bubble of the work.

We make our own choices and we're each responsible for them. Blame and credit belong to the individual. You haven't the right to claim either from someone else.

There's no reward without work, no victory without effort, no battle won without risk.

So does that mean you're going to fall in love with me again? What makes you think i ever stopped?

You can't argue with math, Carter. You'll always lose.

Once you considered failure you were one step farther away from success.

I don't believe for one moment you can write well what you wouldn't read for pleasure.