Louis Sachar 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.

When you write a novel, you never have to be in the service of the reader. My only concern with my books is that the world that's created be as logical and whole as possible.

It's hard, because when you talk about process or your characters ruling your narrative, it sounds like you have no control, but obviously you're ultimately the author, so you do have control.

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.

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.

When you write a movie, you have a hundred collaborators. But when you write a novel, it's yours.

The most amazing gift about being a novelist is that you get to pursue your curiosity every day.

As I was writing 'Insidious 3' I started to fall in love with the characters and the story. I became very possessive of it and I didn't want someone else to do it.

I've learned to really love revision over the years and worked hard to build up my craft muscle to make my revisions less and less painful with each book.

I obviously prefer writing novels but I take my journalism very seriously, and I enjoy doing it between novels. It gives me an opportunity to move in the outside world.

When I'm the one who sits down and looks at the blank page and writes it out all the way, then I'll call it my script.

Writers often say that characters begin to write themselves, and I never used to believe that. I always thought that was complete hogwash.

The nice thing about being a writer is that you can make magic happen without learning tricks.

My fictitious characters will take the bit between their teeth and gallop off and do something that I hadn't counted on. However, I always insist on dragging them back to the straight and narrow.

The process of rewriting is enjoyable, because you're not in that existential panic when you don't have a novel at all.

With a novel, there is no hurrying it. You're constantly walking into the unknown.

I write poetry anyway and have for years and years. For me, putting fiction and poetry together is like the best of both worlds.

A novelist has a specific poetic license which also applies to his own life.

Every time that I write a novel I am convinced for at least two years that it is the last one, because a novel is like a child. It takes two years after its birth. You have to take care of it. It starts walking, and then speaking.

Writing novels preserves you in a state of innocence - a lot passes you by - simply because your attention is otherwise diverted.

I save the best of myself for novels, and I believe it shows.

There are things you do when you're writing that are so fun to do it's almost like they're private jokes that are amusing to you but no one else is going to enjoy them nearly as much and you worry you're going to have to take them out in the end.

It's hard to find a play that's right for me to do. Rather than waiting around for the right script to come along, I decided to write one myself.

Call me the author.