9378 quotes by novelists for you to enjoy

The post office actually achieves its mission. I wish we could say the same of the CIA. Barry Eisler

CIA Post Wish Say Post Office Could Mission Office Same Achieves Actually

I hate editing. I love to write, but I hate to reread my stuff. To revise. Barry Hannah

Love Hate Editing Write Stuff Revise

Voice comes to you through a spell, a trance. The best voices are not you... they're a little away from you. Barry Hannah

Best You Spell Voice Voices Through Trance Little Away

I don't write under the ghost of Faulkner. I live in the same town and find his life and work inspiring, but that's it. I have a motorcycle and tool along the country lanes. I travel at my own speed. Barry Hannah

Life Work Motorcycle Travel Country Own Live Speed Tool Faulkner Ghost Find My Own Inspiring Write Along Town His Same

I found out about reviews early on. They're mostly written by sad men on bad afternoons. That's probably why I'm less angry than some writers, who are so narcissistic they consider every line of every review, even a thoughtful one, as major treason. Barry Hannah

Sad Angry Men Every Consider Thoughtful Out Bad Some About Writers Written Major Mostly Narcissistic Line Review Reviews Than Afternoon Less Who Even Found Why Treason Early

My best stories come out of nowhere, with no concern for form at all. Barry Hannah

Best Out Come Concern Form Stories Nowhere

A man's got to do what a man's got to do. A woman must do what he can't. Barry Hannah

Man Woman Must He Got

When you're not involved, other people's unhappiness seems to be about the funniest damn thing on earth because you think you can solve it, that you are God, that you are above this, and that their unhappiness is just such useless toil and agony. If it's you, it ceases to be a comedy. Barry Hannah

God You People Comedy Think Damn Damn Thing Other Earth Solve About Above Seems Involved Because Ceases Just Unhappiness Toil Useless Agony Thing Funniest

Some writers are curiously unmusical. I don't get it. I don't get them. For me, music is essential. I always have music on when I'm doing well. Writing and music are two different mediums, but musical phrases can give you sentences that you didn't think you ever had. Barry Hannah

I'll tell you why I like writing: it's just jumping into a pool. I get myself into a kind of trance. I engage the world, but it's also wonderful to just escape. I try to find the purities out of the confusion. It's pretty old-fashioned, but it's fun. Barry Hannah

Myself You Writing Wonderful World Try Confusion Pool Out Tell Kind Find Pretty Like Also Jumping Escape Get Trance Just Engage Old-Fashioned Fun Why

I was born in Clinton, Mississippi, which had 1,500-2,500 people when I was growing up - a village. Barry Hannah

People Born Had Mississippi Clinton Up Which Village Growing Growing Up

I travel often, so my routine is always getting scrambled. But on a standard sort of day, I get up at 6, pack lunches, hustle the kids off to school, then brew a pot of coffee and head downstairs to the dungeon, as I call it: my cobwebby office in the basement. Benjamin Percy

Day Travel School Coffee Kids Hustle Pot Head Call Sort Always Off Up Dungeon Office Get Scrambled Getting Often Pack Then Brew Standard Downstairs Basement Routine

My voice is rather quirky. It's abysmally low. People often think I'm putting it on at first. Think drunk Darth Vader. Or Barry White singing country. It suits my dark material. When I do readings, I really play it up and go subterranean. I can make the phone book sound terrifying. Benjamin Percy

Book People Suits Phone Dark First Country Drunk Singing White Think Darth Darth Vader Rather Voice Putting Make Terrifying Readings Material Sound Go Up Quirky Often Low Really Barry Barry White Play Vader

Yes, I grew up with guns. For my 16th birthday, in fact, I received a .357 instead of a car. But there was nothing playful about them; they were tools. My parents went through a back-to-the-land phase. Most of our vegetables and fruits came from our own garden. Benjamin Percy

Birthday Garden Vegetables Car Parents Own Nothing Tools Our Guns About Fact Through Instead Most Came Were Up Yes In Fact Grew Fruits Them Phase Received Playful

I grew up in western Oregon, just outside Eugene, on 27 wooded acres that served as my playground. Benjamin Percy

Outside Western Up Just Grew Oregon Acres Served Playground

It's still incredibly hard. Not just honing my craft but kicking down doors, getting my work published. Early on, I could have wallpapered my house with all the rejection letters sent my way. I put thousands of hours and pages into four novels that never saw the light of day. Benjamin Percy

Work Day Light Doors Down Rejection Incredibly Honing Saw Way Kicking Thousands Could Never Put Hours House Still Craft Getting Just Sent Pages Hard Novels Letters Published Four Early

Novels will remain my meat and potatoes, what sustain me imaginatively. Benjamin Percy

Me Will Potatoes Remain Sustain Meat Novels

I met Eva Ibbotson before I became a writer myself, and was in awe of her then. Berlie Doherty

Myself Met Before Writer Became Then Eva Awe Her

As long as I'm able to write across the media and across the age groups, I'm happy. Berlie Doherty

Age Happy Long Able Write Across Groups Media

Quotes by Novelists