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The truth is that every writer, whether it's fiction or nonfiction, is trying to write something truly original and that's what I think I'm doing.

Some writers confuse authenticity, which they ought always to aim at, with originality, which they should never bother about.

Originality is nothing but judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another.

Often in the past, there have been authors that were deeply disappointed in their adaptation, but that's because they haven't accepted the fact that a movie is a different thing, and it can't possibly be the same as the book.

Some writers get snooty about what happens when their books are adapted to film, but I don't feel that way.

About the most originality that any writer can hope to achieve honestly is to steal with good judgment.

I think my background in film taught me that a great book adaptation is not always slavishly faithful to the source material.

There is always a reverence issue, and I'm no different from any audience member that if someone's adapting a book or comic that I like, I really don't want them to screw it up.

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.

Unfortunately, the author of a book pretty much gives up control of the story when the producers take over a book to make it into a movie.