Character Quote by Dan Chaon

Because I come from the theater, I use the images of the theater and of movies a great deal when I write. I see…

— Julie Andrews

I begin by assembling notes on characters. Large swaths of the plot become clear to me as I do this.

— James Ellroy

Usually I work out the plot before I start. This time I thought: Writers always talk about not knowing where a book is going…

— Daniel Kehlmann

Normally I start with a plot, and write a synopsis, and the ideas come from the construction.

— Jo Nesbo

I roughly draw the scene beforehand to be more confident on the set. Instead of talking and explaining certain things, I try to visually…

— Karthik Subbaraj

I always begin with a character or characters, and then try to think up as much action for them as possible.

— John Irving

Before I start, I trick myself into thinking I know what's going to happen in the story, but the characters have ideas of their…

— Neal Shusterman

Often the starting point for characters, for me, is finding a little, most minor detail, and I'll go from there.

— Patrick deWitt

I try mainly to just focus on character and what my character's point of view is, with each person, and try to figure out…

— Katie Cassidy

I almost never start with an image. I start with a painting idea, an impulse, usually derived from my own world.

— Robert Motherwell

I get a sentence, an idea, an image, and I start. I don't know anything beyond it. I follow it.

— David Rabe

I tend not to approach things intellectually at first. Maybe after the fact i can look at it and see ultimately what it's doing.…

— Sam Levinson