“The real plot in fiction parallels life in that it happens within the characters.”

“As regards plots I find real life no help at all. Real life seems to have no plots.”

“How can one understand the inner life of a character, real or fictional, without knowing the state of her finances?”

“The first act of insight is throw away the labels. In fiction, while we do not necessarily write about ourselves, we write out of ourselves, using ourselves; what we learn from, what we are sensitive to, what we feel strongly about--these become our characters and go to make our plots. Characters in fiction are conceived from within, and they have, accordingly, their own interior life; they are individuals every time.”

“Character is plot, plot is character.”

“Character, I think, is the single most important thing in fiction. You might read a book once for its interesting plot—but not twice.”

“If you will practice being fictional for a while, you will understand that fictional characters are sometimes more real than people with bodies and heartbeats.”

“I quote fictional characters, because I'm a fictional character myself!”

“Unlike most wars, which make rotten fiction in themselves — all plot and no characters, or made-up characters — Vietnam seems to be the perfect mix: the characters make the war, and the war unmakes the characters. The gods, fates, furies had a relatively small hand in it. The mess was man-made, a synthetic, by think tank out of briefing session.”

“I was attempting to write the story of my life. It wasn't so much about plot. It was much more about character.”