Quotes About Authorship

That's the way I work. I get it all plotted in my mind, and then I write it down.

In academic circles, especially, I was criticized for lacking morals, values, and ethics. I'm feeding that angry feminist reading of my work.

there are people who read my work and accuse me of being political! As far as I'm concerned that's like accusing a dog of having a bark!

If you're writing, you're a writer. If you're talking about it or thinking about it, I'm not so sure. Writing is ninety-eight percent work and two percent magic.

I can do a book in three months if I spend all day, seven days a week at it and, in fact, I work better that way.

It is comparatively easy to become a writer; staying a writer, resisting formulaic work, generating ones own creativity - thats a much tougher matter.

I had never thought of advertising as a life work, though I had on the side, written some very successful copy.

Writing is difficult. It's a time commitment, it's labor and I'd have to get myself to sit down and actually do the work and outline.

I don't approach my writing or my work from an academic or analytical point of view. I do it for myself.

Writing is part intuition and part trial and error, but mostly it's very hard work.

As I get older and write more books I'm definitely allowing the humorous side of my personality more rein in my work.

The impact of any particular writer on your own work is hard to discern.

Each book takes anywhere from two to three years to complete, from concept to outline to final edits. I work on as many as five at a time.

I just write all the time! I'm always working. I usually work on several books at once.

Every time I get through the work on a book of nonfiction, I say I'll never do it again; it takes so much out of you.

Making books is hard work. Some books are, of course, more demanding than others.

At a label, you are confined to the team you have, but I did all my solo work myself, and that makes you more agile and able to go into weirder corners.

When I'm working on a novel, I work 70-hour weeks.

I do a nice sloppy first draft like everybody else. And then just work at it and work at it and groom it. I get input from other people.

I don't plot the books out ahead of time, I don't plan them. I don't begin at the beginning and end at the end. I don't work with an outline and I don't work in a straight line.

Writing is work and cooking is relaxing.

I'm always doubting my work, even when people are kind enough to say good things. I still have a hard time believing I've written some books, let alone that they've actually done pretty well.

Usually I get up early every morning and from 6:00 to 10:00 I write. The rest of the time I study and prepare my work or I do other things. But four hours a day are exclusively devoted to writing.

I'd really like to write a book about Timothy McVeigh, but it would only work if he cooperated.