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Writers are the ones who figure out how to put their observations into words.

Writers have opinions - that, in part, is why they write. Therefore they have strong likes and dislikes.

Writers don't always know what they mean - that's why they write. Their work stands in for them. On the page, the reader meets the authoritative, perfected self; in life, the writer is lumbered with the uncertain, imperfect one.

All writers behave badly. All people behave badly.

One thing that writers have in common is that they are readers first. They have read lots and lots of stuff, because they're just infested with lots of stuff.

Writers sometimes give up what is most strange and wonderful about their writing - soften their roughest edges - to accommodate themselves toward a group response.

Writers are always sort of threatening to direct, and sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't.

Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.

They're fancy talkers about themselves, writers. If I had to give young writers advice, I would say don't listen to writers talking about writing or themselves.

Writers write to influence their readers, their preachers, their auditors, but always, at bottom, to be more themselves.