Writing seems like the only job where what you think and feel really matters.

Writing is rewriting. A writer must learn to deepen characters, trim writing, intensify scenes. To fall in love with the first draft to the point where one cannot change it is to greatly enhance the prospects of never publishing.

Morally repugnant and tactically stupid are a lousy combination.

The only judgment that truly matters is the final judgment.

Aggressiveness is good in a combat leader. Combining that with ambition and insecurity becomes more problematic.

I was 29 when I wrote my first novel. But I was 45 when I quit for good. I was a 16-year overnight success.

Write what you care about and understand. Writers should never try to outguess the marketplace in search of a salable idea; the simple truth is that all good books will eventually find a publisher if the writer tries hard enough, and a central secret to writing a good book is to write on that people like you will enjoy.