Writer Quotes by Harlan Coben

Kate Atkinson is an absolute must-read. I love everything she writes.

— Harlan Coben

Only bad writers think they're good.

— Harlan Coben

A writer without a reader doesn't exist.

— Harlan Coben

A novel is like a sausage. You might like the final taste but you don't want to see how it was made.

— Harlan Coben

Writing is one of the few activities where quantity will inevitably make quality. The more you write, the better you're going to…

— Harlan Coben

I always think the insecurity is going to go away, but it's always there. Only bad writers think they're good.

— Harlan Coben

I'm not very happy idle. There's always this voice in my head that says, 'I should be writing.

— Harlan Coben

If I don't write, I hate myself. Simple as that. My life is out of balance.

— Harlan Coben

Writing a novel in general is like trying to reach a mountain top you'll never quite reach - so you try again…

— Harlan Coben

There are three things that make a person a writer: inspiration, perspiration and desperation.

— Harlan Coben

Writing isn't about the process. It is about creating. The joy comes not from the process but from the creation.

— Harlan Coben

I am very lucky that I get to tell stories for a living. I love being able to grab people's attention, to…

— Harlan Coben

I am, after all, a thriller writer. I routinely delve into the darkest chambers of the human heart. I've written about murder,…

— Harlan Coben

Writers always say, 'I always knew I wanted to be a writer; when I was a three-month-old foetus a pen formed in…

— Harlan Coben

When I'm writing, what I pretend subconsciously is that we're cavemen, we're sitting around the fire, and I'm telling you stories. If…

— Harlan Coben

William Goldman's Marathon Man was a novel that taught me about suspense. I was maybe 16 years old when I read it…

— Harlan Coben

The most annoying and full- of- crap thing a writer says is, I write only for myself, I don't care if anyone…

— Harlan Coben

I always say three things make a writer: inspiration, obviously; perspiration, doing the work. But the third is desperation. I'm not really…

— Harlan Coben

“Each writer had a bedroom in the main house and a shack or “work cottage” in which to write. We all met…

— Harlan Coben

If I didn't write, I'd be like a duvet cover; I have no other marketable skills. Clearly I'm not meant to do…

— Harlan Coben

The actual writing time is a lot shorter than the thinking time. I don't do too many notes. I keep it mostly…

— Harlan Coben

Let me back up a little and tell you why I prefer writing to real life: You can rewrite. A novel, for…

— Harlan Coben

I never bought the excuse of not having time to write. If you really want to do it, you're either going to…

— Harlan Coben

“Libraries for me have always had a cathedral-like ambiance, a hushed sanctuary where learning is revered, where we the people elevate books…

— Harlan Coben

The book I always say that influenced me, subconsciously, because at the time I didn't know I wanted to be a writer,…

— Harlan Coben

I like to go out and write. So I'll often go to a Starbucks or a local coffee bar, and I'll sit…

— Harlan Coben

Outlining is not writing. Coming up with ideas is not writing. Researching is not writing. Creating characters is not writing. Only writing…

— Harlan Coben

I can write pretty much anywhere if you give me time and some quiet. The home is not usually the best place…

— Harlan Coben