Book Quote by Iain Banks

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'm not thinking much about overall themes or preoccupations or anything like that. Instead I'm just trusting that, if I'm working hard, various notions…

— George Saunders

Theme is great for people who like to approach stories that way, but it's an organizing principle that helps us write a story that…

— Kurt Busiek

Sometimes, I have themes that interest me or that touch on larger issues but, really, I'm just trying to figure out the plot, or…

— Brian Selznick

I'm not conscious of my own themes as I write first drafts, no, and in fact, I work hard to stay in that unconscious…

— Laurie Foos

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

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

— Chris Pavone

I rather envy writers who do variations on a theme. I like reading those books, but in practice, I can't do it.

— John Lanchester

They say great themes make great novels

— John O'Hara

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

When I look back over my novels what I find is that when I think I'm finished with a theme, I'm generally not. And…

— Richard Russo

What I like in novels that I read and enjoy is interplay of theme: the mystery of how we seem to be so separate…

— Sebastian Faulks