“ I've found that busting your ass on a daily basis to make your art good, clear, and meaningful creates the most luck. Don Roff
“ You cannot write your character until you know how he or she thinks, until you know what their philosophy is in the world that they occupy. Don Roff
“ Don't think about the writing process too much. Just do one thing: tell the motherfucking story. Don Roff
“ The best writers I've read possess oodles of self-doubt, yet claw their way up with each work and remain humble. Boastful ones, not so much. Don Roff
“ Authors must spend months, years making fantasy believable in a single work while reality runs rampant and complete chaos elsewhere. Don Roff
“ Any conversation including the mention of Roald Dahl, Ray Bradbury, or Emily Dickinson is one worth getting into or at least eavesdropping. Don Roff
“ Writers often torture themselves trying to get the words right. Sometimes you must lower your expectations and just finish it. Don Roff
“ When you print out your manuscript and read it, marking up with a pen, it sometimes feels like a criminal returning to the scene of a crime. Don Roff
“ When writing, I uncage KAT: Keep Adding Tension. Even if I don't know where the story's going, petting the KAT keeps it purring. Don Roff
“ Regarding the creative: never assume you're the master, only the student. Your audience will determine if you're masterful. Don Roff
“ We often wait for that knock of opportunity, though I've found it's better to just grab a chainsaw and cut open your own fucking door. Don Roff
“ Always work with/surround yourself with people who help make you a better version of you. Kindly avoid those who don't. Don Roff
“ You're never as good a writer as you think you are, and you're never as bad. Just keep reading and writing, writing, writing. Don Roff
“ Even if you're in the thick of revising another work, write something new. Something small. It's important to keep telling yourself stories. Don Roff
“ Yeah, episodic doesn't work. Your coolest character needs something big and meaningful to do. Otherwise, well, it's just narrative shit. Don Roff
