Book Quote by George Saunders

In general, the main themes emerge early for each book, even before the storyline and characters, as I research the time and place I…

— Guy Gavriel Kay

I don't really do themes. I might accidentally, but themes are an emergent phenomena of the writing of the book, of just trying to…

— Iain Banks

I try to construct each of my novels around one central theme - core tensions shared by the characters.

— Chris Pavone

I'm always writing across the same themes. But with short stories, I'm doing something different than with novels. In some ways, they're coming from…

— Lynn Coady

I can’t explain how it is I keep having new ideas. But one book inevitably follows another. It is my way of exploring the…

— Virginia Hamilton

I tend to describe recurring themes as being part of a writer's DNA - something so deeply embedded in us that even we don't…

— Sara Zarr

I'm not sure if a writer should talk about themes. Themes arrive out of the deeper structure and concerns, but to me, the main…

— David Means

I've never written a book with an outline or a predetermined theme. It's only in retrospect that themes or subjects become identifiable. That's the…

— Susan Choi

I look for two things when I am about to launch into a book. First, there has to be a dramatic arc to the…

— David Maraniss

Once a novel gets going and I know it is viable, I don't then worry about plot or themes. These things will come in…

— Chinua Achebe

The themes in my books, like in life, are about grace and redemption and you never know when they're going to show up and…

— Kate DiCamillo

Every story I write starts with a dilemma or a theme. Once I am convinced that this is the issue that is perturbing my…

— Siegfried Lenz