Matt Haig Quotes

With the success of 'Black Privilege,' of course, the book publishers wanted me to come with another book immediately. They came with the check, but I don't do things for money.

If you are a young writer today, it's very hard.

Hell hath no fury like a hustler with a literary agent.

I never imagined when I began writing in the early 1960s I'd become professional and my life would be transformed.

I am capable of much more. I guess every artist feels that way. If you are satisfied, you begin to stagnate. I want to grow as an actress every day. There are so many things you can learn, and you can improve upon your skills and abilities every day.

I've had the odd good luck of starting slowly and building gradually, something few writers are allowed anymore. As a result I've seen each of my books called the breakthrough. And each was, in its way.

I just feel really fortunate to build a career as a writer.

I got better as an actor, and still I'm getting better. That's only been possible because there's always been work.

You can never get to a place of comfort in this business. As soon as you hit that little cushy spot, somebody's gonna kick you out. So I have a constant need to do it better.

I think in any industry, it is competitive. There are a certain number of slots out there and opportunities out there. So you need to make sure that you're always on the top of your toes, trying to get better.

My first novel was turned down by half a dozen publishers. And even after having published five or six books, I wasn't making enough money to live on, and was beginning to think I'd have to give up the dream of being a full-time writer.

I'm a writer who stacks cat food for a living. It's true: I have a master's degree in creative writing, I've published two critically successful books, and I get paid to replenish the shelves of my local food co-op with pet food, sponges and toilet paper. Nine days out of 10, I do it quite happily.

I got a couple of stories published, but the kind of money you were making for publishing a short story, I could see I wasn't going to make a living at it.

There are some aspects of work you need to keep working on and no matter what environment you are in. Continuous learning is very important. It's what I call 'competitive tension', which is about having a competition around.

What is a master but a master student? And if that's true, then there's a responsibility on you to keep getting better and to explore avenues of your profession.

I wrote three books before I got one published. Most writers do. Have faith, and know that with each work you are getting better.

The nature of show business is people within the business feel that if someone else fails, they move up a notch.

One day, I looked up and saw I had an extensive resume and saw how I did that and did not realize it because you are constantly working and trying to build a body of work.

I'm lucky to be in a profession where you can keep getting better.

As soon as you become complacent your show gets canceled.

Competition is like a treadmill. If you stand still, you get swept off. But when you run, you can never really get ahead of the treadmill and cover new terrain - so you never run faster than the speed that is set.

One of the things you want as a successful writer is the anonymity.

I'm just trying to up my films - how every film should be better than the previous one. That's what I struggle for.

Like each and every year I got to think that way, anyway. I got to think about the next person trying to come in and take my job, so I got to continue to... work hard and prove myself.

The thing about living in New York as a writer is that you hit that age where it feels like everyone has a book all at the same time. It's like that one year where you're invited to twenty weddings.