Dean Koontz Quotes

If I had my druthers, I wouldn't have anyone's words in my script but my own, but if you want complete autonomy, just stick to novels.

There's never any humongous next draft. I know a writer who every time he finished a novel - you would know his name very well - but his editor would come and live with him for a month. And they would go through the manuscript together.

I used to give her [my wife] to read the column every week before I sent it to the editors. And sometimes she was so mad - are you crazy? You're not going to send that, or, you're not going to write that about me. So I would go, OK. You have five hours. Go ahead, write the column yourself.

The main thing is that you have a good editor - one that believes in you and who will give you the feedback that you need to produce a good book.

I have learned that keeping my personal life outside of work is the easier, richer way to work.

There's a really nice moment in the life of a piece of writing where the writer starts to get a feeling of it outgrowing him - or he starts to see it having a life of its own that doesn't have anything to do with his ego or his desire to 'be a good writer.'

Often I sort of work up and down the manuscript. I sometimes used to go ahead of myself to see what was going to happen next, to make certain it fits what was going to be happening soon.

I had to take my makeup off at work every night. I wasn't allowed to do it at home because my mom said that when your work day is done, you're done with work.

If you love a young writer, maybe the best thing you can do is give them a little bit of space.

I'd like to keep work work and life life. It means you've got your life to come back to, somewhere to come home to at night that isn't invaded by your day.

Anything where I get to write a lot of jokes and have a lot of creative control - that's all I want.

I feel sorry for people who have to edit me. Which is why book writing is by far the most enjoyable. Really the only thing it's based on is whether it's good or not. No book editor, in my experience, is getting a manuscript and try to rewrite it.

I have the power to write these books where I invent characters that I really like, and it gets to come out the way they want it to come out, and I get to make it happen.

I'm totally in control of this tiny, tiny world right there at the typewriter.

I think I got spoiled and that writing a short story and getting it published, or writing a novel and getting it published, you pretty much get to do the first, second and third draft yourself without a whole lot of interference.

We don't want other people poking into our artistic pie.

Nothing beats novel writing because it's complete expression of you. You just control everything. Not even a movie director has that level of control.

We make a contract within ourselves as actors or directors or writers about how much of ourselves we let into projects. You can actually figure out before you work on something how much blood you will have to let emotionally.

I am aloof by nature. I mind my own business. I'm good with everyone, and I get along fine with people. But work is work, and friendship is friendship. I never mix the two.

Writing is much more satisfying on a certain level than acting ever was. Because you're not interpreting someone else's original idea, you can come up with your own.

Every writer loves the idea of being able to go in and fix a problem and then leave without obligation. It's fun!

I think it's better not to mix professional life and personal life - although it is hard.

The moment I am off the field, it's my personal time.

The only people who usually have input on my writing are my wife and my editor. I'm not in conversation with anyone except the people I report on and the people I work with.

I've never really felt comfortable co-writing. I usually go at my own speed, you know.