162 Quotes by Octavia Butler

In order to rise from its own ashes, a Phoenix first must burn.

Beware:At war Or at peace,More people die Of unenlightened self-interestThan of any other disease.

First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won't. Habit is persistence in practice.

No one is who we think they are,' I said. 'That's what we get for not being telepathic.

My brother Keith begged to go with us as usual. He'll turn thirteen in a few days - August 14 - and the thought of waiting two more years until he's 15 must seem impossible to him. I understand. Waiting is terrible. Waiting to be older is worse than other kinds of waiting because there's nothing you can do to make it happen faster.

Well, writing was what I wanted to do, it was always what I wanted to do. I had novels to write so I wrote them.

What have cops ever done for our community? Nothing.

Every story I create, creates me. I write to create myself.

Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears. To be led by a fool is to be led by the opportunists who control the fool. To be led by a thief is to offer up your most precious treasures to be stolen. To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies. To be led by a tyrant is to sell yourself and those you love into slavery.