9378 quotes by novelists for you to enjoy

Most every book I bring into the world is like birthing a baby; it's a lot of effort! Barbara Kingsolver

Book World Every Baby Like Most Lot Effort Bring

The first sentence of a book is a promise. Barbara Kingsolver

Book First Promise Sentence

When people are frightened about going hungry and paying their mortgages, a scarcity model begins to prevail; they fear someone else will get their piece of the pie. Barbara Kingsolver

Prevail People Fear Will Else Hungry Scarcity About Someone Mortgages Pie Piece Frightened Model Begins Get Going Paying

As a biologist, I can't think of myself as anything but an animal among animals and plant. Barbara Kingsolver

Myself Animal Plant Animals Think Anything Among Biologist

You always need that spark of imagination. Sometimes I'm midway through a book before it happens. However, I don't wait for the muse to descend, I sit down every day and I work when I'm not delivering lambs on the farm. Barbara Kingsolver

Work Day You Every Day Book Sometimes Wait Before Sit Farm Down Every Imagination Through Delivering Always However Happens Lambs Midway Spark Descend Muse Need

In the day-to-day, farm work is stress relief for me. At the end of the day, I love having this other career - my anti-job - that keeps me in shape and gives me control over a vegetal domain. Barbara Kingsolver

Work Love Day Me End Of The Day Stress Control Farm Other Relief Having Gives Shape Day-To-Day Over Domain End Keeps Career

I was trained in classical piano, but it kind of dawned on me that classical pianists compete for six job openings a year, and the rest of us get to play 'Blue Moon' in a hotel lobby. Barbara Kingsolver

Me Job Moon Rest Year Lobby Kind Classical Piano Dawned Hotel Openings Trained Get Blue Six Us Play Compete

The most important guideline when it comes to argument is the golden rule. If someone were addressing your point, what tone, what overall approach would you find persuasive and want her to use? Whatever that is, do it yourself. Barry Eisler

You Do-It-Yourself Yourself Argument Important Whatever Approach Addressing Rule Would Find Someone Point Overall Most Were The Golden Rule Golden The Most Important Want Golden Rule Persuasive Use Your Her Tone

I'm not sure why I'm so drawn to heroes who do bad things and to villains who think they're the good guys, but I do find that moral ambiguity and conflict makes for great characters. Barry Eisler

When I was in college, I became interested in various aspects of foreign policy and international relations. Even as a kid, I was interested in what I call, loosely speaking, forbidden knowledge. Barry Eisler

Knowledge College International Relations Relations Kid Various Forbidden Call Policy Became Loosely Foreign Foreign Policy Interested Aspects Speaking International Even

I was with the CIA for only three years. I worked in the Directorate of Operations, which is now called the National Clandestine Service. It's the part of the organization where the spies live. I didn't have much experience beyond the training. Barry Eisler

Service Experience CIA Training Organization Three National Live Spies Only Part Beyond Operations Years Where Which Worked Much Now

The Internet is a limitless library at your fingertips. It's a great place to start with the acquisition of knowledge. My process is to go to a place when I'm writing about it. Nothing captures the essence, feeling and flavor of a place better than when I'm actually there and doing the writing. Barry Eisler

Great Knowledge Library Writing Better Internet Feeling Nothing About Fingertips Great Place Limitless Doing Go Than Essence Process Place Flavor Acquisition Your Captures Actually Start

Publishing for me is a business, not an ideology. Barry Eisler

Me Business Ideology Publishing

I want to position my books as premium-priced versions on the reasonably-priced scale, if that makes sense, to find a sweet spot between the high-end of what my brand can support and the low end that results in impulse purchases and maximum sales volume. Barry Eisler

I can understand the allure of a venerable Big Six imprint, of a shot at the New York Times list, of a publisher-sponsored book tour, of seeing your hardbacks in bookstores and your paperbacks in supermarkets. Barry Eisler

Book Big Book Tour Bookstores Seeing Tour Allure New Venerable Understand Imprint Times York List Six New York New York Times Shot Your

I read pretty eclectically - fiction, non-fiction, and poetry - and I've been inspired and influenced by a number of writers. Barry Eisler

Pretty Poetry Inspired Writers Read Non-Fiction Been Influenced Fiction Number

If the reader cares, I don't think it matters so much whether your hero is in fact an anti-hero. Barry Eisler

Hero Matters Think Cares Fact Reader In Fact Whether Much Your

The strangest thing about the low quality of Internet argument is that effective argument isn't really so difficult. Sure, not everyone can be Clarence Darrow, but anyone who wants to be at least competent at argument can do it. Barry Eisler

Quality Internet Argument Difficult Everyone About Sure Least Effective Anyone Wants Low Really Strangest Who Thing Competent

Quotes by Novelists