Anne Rice
"I don't think there's any rule. I don't write sometimes for months. Of course, I write emails every day, I write in my diary every day. I may not touch the manuscript at all, or anything pertaining to it. ... Whether [or not] I hit the keyboard, I'm writing in my head. I'm working on my books all the time. I write best in short, intense periods. A period, say, of three or four months—very intense work. And then I draw back and I read, and I do other things. Again, I don't think there's any rule to any of this. It's the greatest profession because you do it all in your own way."
— Anne Rice
for Creatives | creative process, novel writing, writing, Anne Rice, the creative life
"I was discouraged very early in my college years by people who told me I wasn't a real writer because I didn't write every day. Things like that should not be said. And anybody who says anything to you like that, you have to ignore them. You know, there are no rules."
— Anne Rice
for Creatives | create for YOURSELF, artist integrity, writing, Anne Rice, feedback/criticism/rejection, break the rules
"No matter where you are in your career, whether you're published, unpublished or just starting out, walk through the world as a writer. That's who you are, and that's what you want to be, and don't take any guff off anybody."
— Anne Rice
for Creatives | artist integrity, writing, Anne Rice, feedback/criticism/rejection, the creative life
"Protect your voice and your vision. Protect it—and if going on the Internet and reading Internet reviews is bad for you, don't do it. It's awfully rough right now. It's a jungle out there. Do what gets you to write, and not what blocks you."
— Anne Rice
for Creatives | creating isn't easy, creative fear, writing, writer's block, reviews, Anne Rice, protect the art
"I ended up answering [my readers], and with pleasure. But it was a mistake. Because really it's nobody's business what you believe. The book stands on its own."
— Anne Rice
"I don't think we should discuss ideas. I think we should just write, and then go in with the book and say, 'here's the book.' Now, sometimes you have to say something. But I wouldn't listen to what they say back—because they're not prophets. ... Agents particularly are really not in the business of being prophetic. They know what has worked, and that's it."
— Anne Rice
for Creatives | writing, creating in the moment, Anne Rice, protect the art, agents, ideas
"You've got to protect your voice and your vision from everybody, really. Even the best-intentioned editors. And I mean, I love my editor; I've been with Vicky Wilson for over 35 years. She's wonderful, and her remarks on the finished manuscript are always terrific. But I don't go to her to discuss a germinating idea."
— Anne Rice
for Creatives | artist integrity, writing, solitude of creating, Anne Rice, artist's voice, protect the art, editors, ideas