being constantly subjected to tests of his persistence and courage. So he could not be hasty, nor impatient. If he pushed forward impulsively, he would fail to see the signs and omens.

They can't yank a novelist like they can a pitcher. A novelist has to go the full nine, even if it kills him.

You can do anything you want to do as long as you keep a good attitude and keep working at it. But the second you give up, you're screwed.

You abandon most readily those works that have no destination other than your own wishes; there is no editor or producer standing there waiting for them... I've told every young writer I know to do the job all the way through even if they think it's no good. Then they'll have the precedent of having finished work.

I decline utterly to be impartial between the fire brigade and the fire.

If you're going through hell, keep going.

Never, never, never give up.

Everything is preparation for something else. Every story is part of a larger story. Every event, regardless of whether it seems good or bad, is a seed planted, watered, sprouted, or readied for harvest.

One little deed done in time is worth more than a thousand good intentions.

We need to make sure that the laws we're passing are protecting people. And we should not be voting against something that makes progress just because it doesn't make as much progress as we'd like to see made. As much as I might like to see any number of issues progress in larger steps, I understand that some of these things happen in smaller steps. And so for that reason, progress is progress. And success is success.

Spirit-filled Christians are quite apt to be physically exhausted at the close of the day. They are weary in the work, but not weary of the work.

No matter how cynical you become, it's never enough to keep up.