When you write, you want to get rid of the world, don’t you? Of course you do. When you’re writing, you’re creating your own worlds.

The kids accepted my drinking as a part of life. Not a particularly pernicious part. I didn't beat up on them. Basically I don't think I was so different from a lot of dads who have three or four martinis when they get in from work, wine with dinner and so on.

It's hard to make strangers care about the good things in your life.

If God gives you something you can do, why in God's name wouldn't you do it?

It was always a pleasure to write. I can never think of a time when I just hacked something out to fulfil a contract or meet a deadline. I might have hacked things out, but it was always stuff I loved.

I don't take notes; I don't outline, I don't do anything like that. I just flail away at the goddamn thing. I'm a salami writer. I try to write good salami, but salami is salami. You can't sell it as caviar.

A little talent is a good thing to have if you want to be a writer. But the only real requirement is the ability to remember every scar.