On opening sentences: "If in the first chapter a hurricane is going to blow down an oak tree which falls through the kitchen roof, there's no need to first describe the kitchen." — James Thayer Copy Share Image
My experience is that an original and compelling idea for a novel is a rare thing. — James Thayer Copy Share Image
I've never discovered the idea for my next novel while I was still working on the current novel. Other writers don't suffer this. — James Thayer Copy Share Image
I researched fiction writing for months before I taught my first class, much of it looking for strong techniques from bestselling authors. — James Thayer Copy Share Image
I can only write one novel at a time. The author of the Perry Mason novels, Erle Stanley Gardner, often worked on four novels… — James Thayer Copy Share Image
On opening sentences: "If in the first chapter a hurricane is going to blow down an oak tree which falls through the kitchen roof,… — James Thayer Copy Share Image
None of great sages of China preached the precept of love as a guideline for human behavior. — James Thayer Copy Share Image
My students - all adults - bring a lot of writing skill to the first class, and they and I get better as the… — James Thayer Copy Share Image
When I was hired by the University of Washington extension school to teach the one-year fiction writing course - 96 classroom hours - I… — James Thayer Copy Share Image
