Books Quote by Phyllis A. Whitney

“I tell writers not to think about writing short stories or novels. Just write one good scene. And then a novel becomes a bunch…

— Joe Hill

When I'm writing a book, generally I start with the mood and setting, along with a couple of specific images—things that have come into…

— China Mieville

Do not slip into writing for the mind and the mind alone. In other words, do not play merely upon our ability to reason.…

— N.D. Wilson

I have a number of writers I work with regularly. I write an outline for a book. The outlines are very specific about what…

— James Patterson

A writer needs three things, experience, observation, and imagination, any two of which, at times any one of which, can supply the lack of…

— William Faulkner

Never sit staring at a blank page or screen. If you find yourself stuck, write. Write about the scene you're trying to write. Writing…

— Laini Taylor

How it works for me is that a scene comes to mind, usually a scene between the hero and heroine, that depicts the emotional…

— Lori Foster

Each time I write a new piece, whether a novel, a picture book, a speech or anything, really, it has so much to do…

— Patricia MacLachlan

Every paragraph should accomplish two goals: advance the story, and develop your characters as complex human beings.

— Nancy Kress

Rarely does a complete idea come to me. I basically start with just a small scene or a snatch of dialogue and force myself…

— Sandra Brown

In writing for movies, you obviously want to resolve things and have a sense of completion at the end - in an ideal way.

— Mitch Glazer

When you get ready to write your novel, outline it first. There's nothing worse than getting halfway through and realizing you've painted yourself in…

— Janet Evanovich