Writing's like gambling. Unpredictable and sporadic successes make you more addicted, not less.

I like to play blackjack. I'm not addicted to gambling. I'm addicted to sitting in a semi-circle.

Every moment of a science fiction story must represent the triumph of writing over world-building.

I've never been to the Himalayas, and I'm not really interested in them. I'm more interested in a dirty old quarry in Lancashire, and by god, they can be dirty.

I'm addicted to Altoids. I call them 'acting pills.'

A good ground rule for writing in any genre is, start with a form, then undermine its confidence in itself. Ask what it's afraid of, what it's trying to hide - then write that.