Quotes from David Morrell

One of the advantages of having gone to Penn State was having had a scholar for a mentor - Philip Young. Also, a professional writer named Philip Klass taught there. He was a science fiction writer whose pseudonym was William Tenn. As a professional writer, he brought wisdom to teaching because he'd done it for a living.

My son died from cancer. My granddaughter died from cancer. I have a lot of reasons to think that reality is not a friendly neighborhood. And the stories that I tell distract me, and if I do the job right, they distract people from things that are happening to them that they wish had never happened.

If you chase the market, it's not going to come to you. You have to have faith in yourself. I think one of the differences in what I call 'civilians' and 'authors' is that we have an antenna hat buzzing all the time.

My world view is that it can all go to hell in an instant, and you have to be ready for it. That's pretty much the central theme running through my work. It's about people's awareness of how uncertain life can be and their trying to guard against that.

Some people might be surprised that 'Rambo's creator has a doctorate in American literature. One of my influences is Henry James, whose major theme is awareness. Whether I'm writing about military personnel, law enforcement, or De Quincey, the persistent theme is paying attention in a hostile world.

Writers need to be tough. This is not for the weak of will. And we have to realize that, yeah, it's never good enough. It's not like fixing a car where it's precise and we know what the end result will be definitively.

A thriller becomes great when it carries a feeling of reality and truth.

I use these senses - touch, sight, feel and smell - as triggers that invite readers or propel them into the scene. The trick is not to make it obvious. I've written an entire chapter about this in my book, 'The Successful Novelist.' I've lectured about it extensively, but have yet to see many people pick up on it.

Remember that just because major publishing is having trouble, that doesn't mean people have stopped reading books. Printed books won't go away, but ebooks won't go away, either.

Evidence," Mayne insisted. "That's how you capture criminals and put them in prison. Every criminal leaves a trail. Look for it. Follow it. I want details.

The trouble with instant gratification is, it takes too long.

He showed his love and determination by burning her BMW and strangling her cat, then

He was a God who observed without intervening in this hell he created -Carlisle

He strode with the weight of robbed innocence and a stolen childhood, for a life time of pain and anger, of terror and death. - Frank Balenger

His blank face communicated an emptiness that could never be filled - Frank Balenger

Don't you love it when a plan comes together?" Carl

A cool head. That's the secret to getting along in life, gentlemen. You

always wanted to live with a man who looks like a boxer.

A friend is somebody who accepts your faults, who's there for you always, even when you're not your best, somebody who'll do anything for you, somebody you can count on totally, just as a friend can count on you. It's the most powerful relationship there is. Most

I find an empty page friendlier than speaking to another person.

Cavanaugh believed that the term "martial arts" was a self-contradiction. When it came to combat, there was nothing artistic, nothing smooth and graceful about it.

i've heard this called st. peter's square, arlene said. but it isn't square. it's oval.

blackmail never ended. it only bought time. but time was in limited supply. it would last only as long as his money did.

don't expect a magic formula that'll make books fall out of your head and automatically give you a wide readership.