You can't polish a turd.

Most books about writing are filled with bullshit. Fiction writers, present company included, don’t understand very much about what they do—not why it works when it’s good, not why it doesn’t when it’s bad.

It hurts to imagine stuff. It can give you a headache. Probably doesn't hurt physically, but it hurts mentally. But the more that you can do it, the more you're able to get out of it. Everybody has that capacity, but I don't think everyone develops it.

I thought it was great fun to scare people. I also knew it was socially acceptable because there were a lot of horror movies out there.

You learn best by reading a lot and writing a lot, and the most valuable lessons of all are the ones you teach yourself.

The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool.

When the reader hears strong echoes of his or her own life and beliefs, he or she is apt to become more invested in the story.