I'd rather go along with this sense of illusion that I'm a neutral beast going along through life doing everything that's preordained.

Writers vary tremendously. Was it Tom Wolfe who stood up or was it [Ernest] Hemingway who had to stand up? I don't know.

I'd rather go along with this sense of illusion that I'm a neutral beast going along through life doing everything that's preordained.

If you have the temerity to try to dramatize a theme that involves any particular social controversy currently extant. . . then you're in deep trouble.

Coming up with ideas is the easiest thing on earth. Putting them down is the hardest.

I think the essence of the argument has always been, first of all, the Guild doesn't want writing on spec. And that's been a major problem over the years. But obviously, to the young writer that's unfair and it's discriminatory, and it can be very hurtful to one's career.

Ideas are born from what is smelled, heard, seen, experienced, felt, emotionalized.