“The parody is the last refuge of the frustrated writer. Parodies are what you write when you are associate editor of the Harvard Lampoon.”

“An editor is a person who knows more about writing than writers do but who has escaped the terrible desire to write.”

“If, when you wake up in the morning, you can think of nothing but writing… then you are a writer.”

“Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.”

“If you wish to be a writer, write.”

“To be a writer you have to write -- and no academic degree is going to do the writing for you.”

“When we are uncomfortable or anything unpleasant happens, we look to take refuge in something. Usually, we turn to food, alcohol, sex, drugs, money, power, or relationships. But none of these things give us the lasting protection or satisfaction you're looking for. When you understand you can't find lasting happiness in Samsara, then the desire to find true refuge becomes strong. In Buddhism, we take refuge in the three jewels — the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The Buddha is like the doctor who understands your disease and knows how to treat it; the Dharma, his teachings, is the medicine he prescribes; and the Sangha is the spiritual community that helps you to take the medicine. To take refuge is to finally seek protection from suffering in a way that can really help you. When we think about the ultimate nature of reality and what causes us to suffer — this is the true meaning of refuge.”

“Mrs Prentice: Are you ashamed of the fact that you write to strange men?
Prentice: There's nothing furtive in my relationship with the editor of The Guardian.”

“You become writer by writing . It is a yoga .”

“It is impossible to discourage the real writers - they don't give a damn what you say, they're going to write.”