"What a good novelist does with a throwaway that serves no fictional purpose is throw it away." — Lionel Shriver

We speak often of 'destroying the planet' when what we mean is destroying its habitability for humans.

Most books are three-thirds rubbish.

At the keyboard, unrelenting anguish about hurting other people's feelings inhibits spontaneity and constipates creativity.

Writers who take on polarising issues are apt to step on a few toes.