“Authors write books for one, and only one, reason: because we like to torture people.”
Brandon Sanderson Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians
Source: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians
Source: A Mathematical Theory of Systems Engineering (1967), p. v;
“Authors write books for one, and only one, reason: because we like to torture people.”
Brandon Sanderson Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians
Source: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians
Garth Nix (1963) Australian fantasy writer
As quoted in "A conversation with Garth Nix" by Claire E. White at Writers Write (July-August 2000) http://www.writerswrite.com/journal/jul00/nix.htm <br class="br">Context: I don't believe authors need to keep any specific values or ideas in mind while they are writing for children, but I do think authors need to be aware of their audience, and of the effect their work may have. So if they want to address particularly sensitive topics or taboos, they have to do so consciously and carefully. This is very different to toeing a particular moral line or leaving things out.<br>Certainly I don't think good always has to triumph over evil; it depends on the story and the aims of the book. For example, I could envisage telling a story where the inaction of people leads to the triumph of evil. But I would include the hope that this would lead to the people involved doing better next time. Is that story then really about the triumph of evil, or is it about the awakening of opposition to evil?
“I don’t need to be motivated to write; it’s always there waiting to get out. Published or not.”
Jason Tanamor (1975) Filipino-American Author and Writer
Write Now Interview (2020)
Catherine Rowett (1956) Professor of Philosophy at the University of East Anglia (born 1956)
Source: Presocratic Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction (2004), Ch. 1 : Lost words, forgotten worlds
William Zinsser (1922–2015) writer, editor, journalist, literary critic, professor
Source: On Writing Well (Fifth Edition, orig. pub. 1976), Chapter 1, The Transaction, p. 6.