The purpose of the first draft is not to get it right, but to get it written.

- John Dufresne

Reading honest literature makes you love the world. Knowledge and understanding are love. Reading educates our feelings and enhances our sympathy. Wh…

- John Dufresne

Love is anticipation and memory, uncertainty and longing. It’s unreasonable, of course. Nothing begins with so much excitement and hope and pleasure …

- John Dufresne

Love is always a surprise and you never get it right.

- John Dufresne

Writing a story, you understand, is not done by consensus. But we do learn from each other, and we remind ourselves how important this work we're doi…

- John Dufresne

Novels are written, not wished into existence. You have to sit your ass in the chair or nothing gets done.

- John Dufresne

I used to believe that love and happiness were synonymous. I was a fool. Love intensifies all emotions. Nothing is so painful o so sweet, so thrillin…

- John Dufresne

You will feel discouraged; you will lose confidence in your abilities; you will be bored with the characters–and the only way to overcome these obsta…

- John Dufresne

A lack of narrative structure, as you know, will cause anxiety.

- John Dufresne