Writing Quotes

I never think that anything I'm writing is bluntly political in any way. I'm not going for commentary.

What happens on 'Mad Men' in terms of the acting and the writing and the directing, it's superior. And yes, it has tremendous cache and buzz because it's become iconic, but it also deserves all the kudos and the awards as well, because it's a beautiful show to look at.

Novel writing is far and away the most exhausting work I know.

I was uncomfortable writing fiction. My love was the personal essay, rather than the novel.

After I left Texas and went to California, I had a hard time getting anyone to play anything that I was writing, so I had to end up playing them myself. And that's how I ended up just being a saxophone player.

Since I'm a fan of collections and anthologies, believe that the best writing often shines in shards and galloping stretches, I never find myself lobbying for a writer I enjoy reading regularly to hole up in Heidegger's hut for four or five years to bring forth a mountain.

I've started a company, called Tall Girl Productions, and we've got our first project that is purely producing, not writing, with a writer named Evan Daugherty. It's for NBC, it's called 'Afterthought,' and it's science fiction-ish. That's fun.

Writing a book is such a full-time job. If you're away for a few days, you have to start again.

Being so honest in my writing is cathartic.

I've started working on a new album, I'm writing a new book... there are a lot of good things on the horizon.

But just as they did in Philadelphia when they were writing the constitution, sooner or later, you've got to compromise. You've got to start making the compromises that arrive at a consensus and move the country forward.

For me personally, I'm mostly focused on writing and acting right now.

I don't think Capote loved Smith. But he did make a deep connection. It upset some people, because that had never been the approach to journalistic crime writing, to look into the mind of the killer.

Writing a book is not as tough as it is to haul thirty-five people around the country and sweat like a horse five nights a week.

I like sitting and writing with my buddies.

The more interesting the 9-to-5 work is, the more it takes away from my real work, which is writing.

As for the historical inspirations I drew on in writing The Snow Queen, I suppose I would call them more cross-cultural inspirations, though they frequently involve past societies as well as present day ones.

I did six series for the BBC and that was enough. I've been writing for ten years, which is more challenging artistically.

It's not comfortable for me to write about my family. I'm not comfortable writing about me.

I've heard rumors that the Petersons are writing a book. It will be very interesting to see what they have to say, but I don't know anything about the Rochas.

Geisha because when I was living in Japan, I met a fellow whose mother was a geisha, and I thought that was kind of fascinating and ended up reading about the subject just about the same time I was getting interested in writing fiction.

While I would agree that I write about serious subjects, and that they're not necessarily the most pleasant subjects or even the most pleasant people, as a writer I just think about the humorous aspects of these things - that's what keeps me going when I'm writing a story.

Every sentence spoken by Napoleon, and every line of his writing, deserves reading, as it is the sense of France.

I don't think Capote loved Smith. But he did make a deep connection. It upset some people, because that had never been the approach to journalistic crime writing, to look into the mind of the killer.

These matters having been arranged, I had a temporary awning erected near the river, and was for three or four days busily employed writing an account of our journey for the Governor's information.

I was in lots of dodgy bands growing up and I always fancied myself in a band. But, you know, I was rubbish at writing music. So maybe one day I'll play a rock star, or punk rocker.

I think some aspects of writing can be taught. Obviously, you can't teach vision or talent. But you can help with comfort.

It is like writing history with lightning and my only regret is that it is all so terribly true.

Right now, I'm Writing song lyrics. Experimenting with a play. Toying with an idea for a documentary. I hope one of these will eventually be launched into the light of day.

Every writer I know has trouble writing.