“If Chester had a failing, it was that he believed people were what they thought they were.” PeopleIfsFailing Book:Point Blank Source: Point Blank
“Science fiction is a weird category, because it's the only area of fiction I can think of where the story is not of primary importance. Science fiction tends to be more about the science, or the invention of the fantasy world, or the political allegory. When I left science fiction, I said "They're more interested in planets, and I'm interested in people."” PeopleThinkingWorldPoliticalFantasyImportanceScience FictionInventionAllegory Author:Donald E. Westlake
“I'm one of the narrative-push people. I don't outline, I don't plan ahead. So I'm my first reader, telling myself the story as I'm going along. Since I haven't designed it ahead of time, each day I have to be sure that the footing is solid before I make the next step. I think you could be more intricate if you work it out ahead of time.” PeopleThinking Author:Donald E. Westlake
“I know people who have suffered writer's block, and I don't think I've ever had it. A friend of mine, for three years he couldn't write. And he said that he thought of stories and he knew the stories, could see the stories completely, but he could never find the door. Somehow that first sentence was never there. And without the door, he couldn't do the story. I've never experienced that. But it's a chilling thought.” PeopleThinkingWritingBlockChill Author:Donald E. Westlake
“The British were doing crime stories first, but the British thing is a very different thing. There, the stories are about restoring a break in the fabric of society. The American thing has never been worrying about breaks in the fabric of society, but about people doing their job, whether it's police procedurals or criminals or whatever.” PeopleDifferentBreakWorryCrimePolice Author:Donald E. Westlake
“In the first batch of readers, back in the '60s and '70s, the criminal class was still literate, so I would get letters from people in prison; they thought that I was somebody whom they could shop-talk with, and they would tell me very funny stories. I got a lot of those. Guys who were going to wind up doing 10 to 15 for bank robbery, yes, were reading my books.” PeopleBookGuyReadingPrisonRobberyFunny Story Author:Donald E. Westlake
“I've had stuff of mine adapted by other people, so I've come to the conclusion that a movie is a different form from a novel and there is no such thing as a true adaptation. You have to adapt to this other thing and do it right. But that voice of the original should somehow still be there, and the original intent should still be there. So if the original writer saw the movie, the writer would say, "Well, that's not what I wrote, but that's what I meant." And if you can do that, I think you've done your job as a screenwriter.” PeopleThinkingDifferentDoneNovelConclusionAdaptation Author:Donald E. Westlake
“As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by December's bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and people to whom we are worth the same.” PeopleFamilyStruggleOur LivesListsChristmasWeatherHolidayShoppingInvitationsDecemberAggravationChristmas DayChristmas HolidayFunny ChristmasChristmas ThoughtsHoliday SeasonChristmas MagicBad WeatherHoliday TraditionsBest HolidayChristmas CheerInspirational HolidayChristmas ShoppingGreat ChristmasFunny HolidayWarm ChristmasPeople In Our LivesGreat HolidayHoliday Cheer Author:Donald E. Westlake
“Christmas reminds us we are not alone. We are not unrelated atoms, jouncing and ricocheting amid aliens, but are a part of something, which holds and sustains us. As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by December's bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and people to whom we are worth the same. Christmas shows us the ties that bind us together, threads of love and caring, woven in the simplest and strongest way within the family.” PeopleWayShowsTogetherStruggleOur LivesCaringListsChristmasWeatherAliensTiesStrongestAtomsShoppingThreadSimplestInvitationsNot AloneDecemberWovenAggravationBad WeatherTies That BindPeople In Our Lives Author:Donald E. Westlake
“Publishing is the only industry I can think of where most of the employees spend most of their time stating with great self-assurance that they don't know how to do their jobs. "I don't know how to sell this," they explain, frowning, as though it's your fault. "I don't know how to package this. I don't know what the market is for this book. I don't know how we're going to draw attention to this." In most occupations, people try to hide their incompetence; only in publishing is it flaunted as though it were the chief qualification for the job.” PeopleThinkingKnowsTryingI CanBookSelfJobsAttentionKnow HowIndustryDrawsSellsFaultsChiefsEmployeeOccupationPublishingAssurancePackagesIncompetenceQualificationsFrowningSelf Assurance Author:Donald E. Westlake
“Those 4 guys in the late 60's who attacked a jewel merchant on New York's West 46th St. on the sidewalk, so they could steal his jewel-filled station wagon, which they abandoned 2 blocks later because none of them could drive a stick shift. Where would I be without such people?” PeopleGuyNew YorkLateFilledSticksWestStealingBlockStationsAbandonedJewelsMerchantsSidewalkWagons Author:Donald E. Westlake
“The many magazines, ranging from pulp to slick, that used to serve as both farm teams for writers and lures to readers, with hundreds of short stories every month, don't exist. Most of the doors for new people have been sealed.” PeopleHas BeensStoriesUsedDoorsTeamMonthsReaderMagazinesFarmsShort StoryLurePulpSlick Author:Donald E. Westlake
