Tom King Quotes

I spent four of my five years at Stanford writing a novel I was unable to sell.

I became a connoisseur of that nasty thud a manuscript makes when it comes through the letter box.

I had always loved to write and my mom was my editor for my school papers.

When I was 19, I wrote a novel, which was not very good, but I finished it.

The first novel I wrote was a monster - clocking in at 180,000 words - but it died a death, a death it deserved. It was called 'The Gods First Make Mad.' It was a good title, but it was the only good thing about the book. I didn't let that put me off.

I wrote my first novel-length story when I was 14 but had no idea what to do with it. Brisbane was a long way from the publishing industry then. Nowhere's a long way from the publishing industry now.

I worked probably 25 years by myself, just writing and working, not trying to publish much, not giving readings.

I wrote a piece for the school literary magazine that now makes me think: 'My God in Heaven, this is just the worst drivel.'

I can't even say I've begun yet, but I'm trying on the idea that there is a book in my future.

I've written a lot of prose. I just haven't published it.

If you're one of the hundreds of thousands of people out there toiling over your unpublished manuscript, trying to make your way across that vast ocean in a bathtub, I can only say this to you: keep paddling. Well, either that or start vlogging.

I am never really surprised at the way my books take shape. They are just not as perfect as I'd like them to be.

I never took any writing classes or planned to write. But I was working as an advertising copywriter in the late '80s and thought, 'What a shame there has never been a decent book on Jean Harlow,' then thought, 'Why don't I write one myself?' being kind of an idiot and not having the slightest idea what I was getting myself into.

Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.

When I was 19 years old, I wrote my first book. I took a computer science class, and the book was garbage. I thought I could write a better one, so I did.

The first book I sat down to write was an historical romance. It was really bad and thankfully no one ever saw it.

I've written 16 children's books and five unpublished novels. Some of the latter were breathtakingly bad.

Many, many people can write books. I just happen to be one of them.

Write a million words before thinking about getting published.

It may be important to write a book that doesn't come up to what I would like to have rather than to write no book at all.

When I read it, I don't wince, which is all I ever ask for a book I write.

Well I don't write, I attempt to scribble here and there. And no, nothing ever so grand as being published.

I'm clearly not a writer, but I'm always a fan of them.

I urge aspiring writers to write three full-length novels before contemplating publication.

I was writing my first book when I was in college. I was a teenager.