quotes by Editor Quotes

“I became an art major, took every art class my school had to offer. In college, I majored in Advertising Art and Design.”

“Were there stories I wrote along the way that were terrible clinkers? God, yes. But they were all a product of their time, and I did the best I could.”

“It's all about who's where on the food chain. When I'm the story editor, I expect my writers to follow my vision. When I'm working for another editor, I'm obliged to follow their vision.”

“Uncertainty is the worst of all evils until the moment when reality makes us regret uncertainty.”

“If a story isn't working, I'm simply unable to finish it. That's what usually tells me something is wrong.”

“Lord of the Rings, I think, is far and away the most brilliantly done stuff.”

“Love in marriage should be the accomplishment of a beautiful dream, and not, as it too often is, the end.”

“I try to find what makes even the worst, most despicable character sympathetic at his or her core.”

“Many people think that virtue consists of severity towards others.”

“I hate the crazy, neurotic characters beyond a certain point.”

“The more the change, the more it is the same thing.”

“When I'm my own editor, there's very little difference between the first draft and the final. I write what feels right to begin with. I rarely make any major changes.”

“There are very few of us, who reach my advanced age, who are still working in the business, as writers. As artists, people can hang out longer.”

“When I got my first glimpse of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, my breath caught. In that single instant, he was Wolverine.”

“I'm a neurotic New York Jew by birth. Creating characters is second nature to me.”

“Botany is the art of insulting flowers in Greek and Latin.”

“I gather from a lawyer that there was a rehearsal yesterday. We haven't a hope. I know the presiding judge too: I've had the misfortune to sleep with his wife. He was specially picked.”

“These days, it seems that if you're not already in place, you can't get there from here.”

“I've never had to work out of the arts. I've always either been a writer or an editor, or something where I've made my living from doing what I love. You can't get any better than that.”

“I would like immortality.”

“You can read a dozen different textbooks or how-to manuals that will tell you the basic rules of what makes a story - a beginning, a middle, and an end.”

“Friendship between two women is always a plot against another one.”

“I had never really thought of myself as a writer; any writing I had done was just to give myself something to draw.”

“There is an ancient legend which warns that, should we ever learn our true origin, our universe will instantly be destroyed.”

“We can invent only with memory.”

“When I submitted samples, I had only written stories to give myself something to draw. I was told, "The art is good, but not quite professional yet. But, I like the writing." I've been a writer for almost a half a century. It's very cool.”

“One expresses well only the love he does not feel.”

“All people have three characters, that which they exhibit, that which they have, and that which they think they have.”

“The bottom line always remains the same: What is the basic humanity of the character? How do I make them resonate with the reader?”

“I realized the only thing I owed my audience was my own judgment and my own best effort.”

“A true friend is someone who is there for you when he'd rather be anywhere else.”

“Display is like shallow water, where you can see the muddy bottom.”

“A writer writes. Period. No matter if someone is buying your work or not.”

“Women's glances express what they dare not speak.”

“Almost every one flatters himself that he and his are exceptionable.”

“If men knew all that women think, they would be twenty times more audacious.”

“I try not to violate what came before me and to leave lots of wiggle room for those who will follow.”

“Never be embarrassed by the things you cannot do. Be embarrassed by the things you can do and don't do well.”

“Art is always in the eyes of the beholder. Only posterity has the right to point out our mistakes.”

“I've always been the audience that I wanted to reach, so I write for myself.”

“If women only knew the extent of their power!”

“People who were more concerned with themselves and looking good to their readers then they were with the characters sacrificed a series for the sake of a story.”

“I've never sat down and thought about the difference between plot and theme. To me, that's never been important.”

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

“Sometimes you're not even sure which of your stories were failures. There are things I've written that I thought were complete catastrophes when I finished with them that have gone on to generate some of my most positive feedback.”

“If we are to abolish the death penalty, I should like to see the first step taken by our friends the murderers.”

“I've always thought of myself as an organic writer, rather than a cerebral one. I feel my way along as I go, hoping I'll get to the place I intend to reach.”

“In these litigious times, if you're a beginner, it's becoming harder and harder to get your work to the people who might actually be able to hire you.”

“I always wanted to fire rays out of my fingertips.”

“Though we have two eyes, we are supplied with but one tongue. Draw your own moral.”