Menu

 Authors
A B C D E F
G H I J K L
M N O P Q R
S T U V W S
Y Z
Get Socialize
My Account
Make Free Wallpaper

4391 Novelist Quotes

I didn't have any concept of Trainspotting being published. It was a selfish act. I did it for myself.

Act Any Being Concept
  Favorite Make wallpaper
I enjoy the freedom of the blank page.
Blank Blank Page Enjoy Freedom
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I feel like I've exhausted guys and male friendships.

Exhausted Feel Friendships Guys
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I grew up in a place where everybody was a storyteller, but nobody wrote. It was that kind of Celtic, storytelling tradition: everybody would have a story at the pub or at parties, even at the clubs and raves.

Celtic Clubs Even Everybody
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I tend to read more nonfiction, really, because when I'm writing I don't like to read other fiction.

Because Fiction Like More
  Favorite Make wallpaper

Suggesting a married Jesus is one thing, but questioning the Resurrection undermines the very heart of Christian belief.

Belief Christian Heart Jesus
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I think young writers should get other degrees first, social sciences, arts degrees or even business degrees. What you learn is research skills, a necessity because a lot of writing is about trying to find information.

About Arts Because Business
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I wanted to capture the excitement of house music, almost like a four-four beat, and the best way to do that was to use a language that was rhythmic and performative.

Almost Beat Best Best Way
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I'd always liked to read, but when I picked up books I wasn't getting the same kind of excitement from them that I was from going out clubbing. I wanted to get the same kind of feel.

Always Books Clubbing Excitement
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I'm always watching people over a short time frame, putting them in an extreme position. Sometimes you don't see the humanity in a person because the time frame is so short and the circumstance so extreme.

Always Because Circumstance Extreme
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I read nonfiction almost exclusively - both for research and also for pleasure. When I read fiction, it's almost always in the thriller genre, and it needs to rivet me in the opening few chapters.

Chapters Opening Genre Read
  Favorite Make wallpaper

It was around the summer of 1982 when the drug problem really impacted. It became a lifestyle rather than a recreation. When you start lying and stealing, you cannot con yourself you're in control any more.

Any Around Became Cannot
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I don't know where I would place myself in the literary landscape. I really just write the book that I would want to read. And I put on the blinders, and I really - it is, for me, that simple.

Simple Blinders Read Book
  Favorite Make wallpaper

The establishment, the newspapers, they try to create something called Scottish literature, but when people are actually going to write, they are not going to necessarily prescribe to that, they'll write what they feel.

Actually Create Establishment Feel
  Favorite Make wallpaper

My sincere hope is that 'The Da Vinci Code,' in addition to entertaining people, will serve as an open door to begin their own explorations.

Addition Begin Code Door
  Favorite Make wallpaper
The first job of a writer is to be honest.
First First Job Honest Job
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I'm fascinated by power, especially veiled power. Shadow power. The National Security Agency. The National Reconnaissance Office. Opus Dei. The idea that everything happens for reasons we're not quite seeing.

Agency Everything Fascinated Happens
  Favorite Make wallpaper
There is a kind of mysticism to writing.
Kind Mysticism Writing There
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I think one reason my books have found mainstream success is that they're written from a skeptical point of view.

Books Found Point Reason
  Favorite Make wallpaper

What worries me is the professionalism of everything.

Everything Me Professionalism Worries
  Favorite Make wallpaper

When I first started to get into writing, it was via music. I'd generate ideas for songs that would turn into stories, then they'd turn into novels. I was biased toward music.

Biased First Generate Get
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I still get up every morning at 4 A.M. I write seven days a week, including Christmas. And I still face a blank page every morning, and my characters don't really care how many books I've sold.

Blank Face Books Care
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I have written a lot about the fine arts, but I'd never written about the literary arts, and so on some level Dante really, you know, spoke to me, as new ground but also familiar ground.

Familiar Ground Spoke Level
  Favorite Make wallpaper

When I'm not writing, I read loads of fiction, but I've been writing quite constantly lately so I've been reading a lot of nonfiction - philosophy, religion, science, history, social or cultural studies.

Been Constantly Cultural Fiction
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I love the gray area between right and wrong.

Area Love Gray Between
  Favorite Make wallpaper

The power that religion has is that you think nothing is random: If there's a tragedy in my life, that's God testing me or sending me a message.

God Religion Life Power
  Favorite Make wallpaper

When people start writing there is this idea that you have to get everything right first time, every sentence has to be perfect, every paragraph has to be perfect, every chapter has to be perfect, but what you're doing is not any kind of public show, until you're ready for it.

Any Chapter Doing Every
  Favorite Make wallpaper

Writing is about culture and should be about everything. That's what makes it what it is.

About Culture Everything Makes
  Favorite Make wallpaper
I've learned that universal acceptance and appreciation is just an unrealistic goal.
Goal Unrealistic Just Learned
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I learned early on not to listen to either critique - the people who love you or the people who don't like you.

Critique Early Either Learned
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I know when I go and see a writer, the first thing I think to myself is, 'Are they the character in the book?' You just can't help it; it's the way people are.

Book Character First First Thing
  Favorite Make wallpaper

If you believe the people who love you, you get lazy. And if you believe the people who hate you, you become... maybe intimidated, or whatever the word might be, and you don't write as well.

Become Believe Lazy Hate
  Favorite Make wallpaper

It's that kind of thing that readers have. I have it as a reader myself: that expectation that the writer will be that person. Then I meet other writers and realize that they're not.

Expectation Kind Meet Myself
  Favorite Make wallpaper
It's like nothing's really happening. Our culture is almost dead.
Almost Culture Dead Happening
  Favorite Make wallpaper

When you grow up in a place, you always think it's mundane. Then you travel around and live in different places, and you realise that you've got it the wrong way 'round.

Always Around Different Different Places
  Favorite Make wallpaper

It's where you come from that's the strange, exotic, quirky, mad place.

Come Exotic Mad Place
  Favorite Make wallpaper

When people write a novel, they want to have that reach and that impact. To get it with a first novel, you can either see it as an albatross or a calling card.

Calling Calling Card Card Either
  Favorite Make wallpaper

Futurists don't consider overpopulation one of the issues of the future. They consider it the issue of the future.

Future Issue Consider Issues
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I created something that became a phenomenon without becoming a prisoner to it.

Became Becoming Created Phenomenon
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I will not write a lame follow-up. It could take me 20 years. But I will never turn in a book that I'm not happy with.

Book Happy Lame Could
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I don't want everything to be flowery perfection. I like it there to be a charge behind it, you know?

Behind Charge Everything Know
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I've been through a lot. I've thought a lot about life, and I've spent a lot of time studying history and science.

About Been History Life
  Favorite Make wallpaper
I just want to get on and tell stories.
Get Just Stories Tell
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I write slowly. I actually write quickly, but I throw out so much material.

Actually Material Much Out
  Favorite Make wallpaper

We have to give feminism a shot. Out of sheer self preservation, we have to stand aside and let women run the show.

Aside Feminism Give Out
  Favorite Make wallpaper

It's not about what you tell the reader, it's about what you conceal.

Conceal About Reader Tell
  Favorite Make wallpaper

Historically, men have a hard time getting onboard with feminism, but I think that's changing.

Changing Feminism Getting Hard
  Favorite Make wallpaper

I grew up in a very religious household. My mom was a church organist. I was a religious kid.

Church Grew Kid Very
  Favorite Make wallpaper

'Ulysses' is like a big box of tricks that you can dive into. Each time you read it, you find something new.

Big Box Dive Each
  Favorite Make wallpaper

The thing that's going to make artificial intelligence so powerful is its ability to learn, and the way AI learns is to look at human culture.

Ability Artificial Culture Human
  Favorite Make wallpaper