An unpublished writer should doubt themselves. They should constantly wonder whether what they’re creating has merit. And then, having doubted, they should take up their pen and see if they can’t make it better.

Is the writer cruel that makes his characters suffer only to bring them to triumph or tragedy in the end?

Those who perpetrate stories must act cruelly.

A novel must be judged on its merits, not on how hard the journey was to write it.

Good writing is more about graft and craft than inspiration and aspiration.

A good book is not the same as a successful one.