Although filmmaking is collaborative and involves trust, ultimately it is the director who holds the whole picture together in their head.

One of the most ephemeral and important things is atmosphere and tone and it's very hard to put your finger on what creates that.

I think every single person perceives things differently. We are all singular.

The concentration of the elite athlete is akin perhaps to the concentration of the writer.

It's dangerous to think too much about how a film will be received. Filmmaking is not a popularity contest. Some would disagree.

I, myself, don't like to see a film on Friday night and then forget it by the next day.

I'm trying to get under people's skin in a way. I don't like films that go in one ear and out the other.

I think striking the right tone for your story is, if you like, the alchemical work of writing.

I think it's restrictive to typecast myself as a novelist because I enjoy other forms of expression. I love literature and I love cinema.

I don't think good films have messages.

I do believe we're all adaptable, and you're probably more adaptable than you realize.

Children are like soft petals. One wrong pluck and they are damaged forever.

Says Momma: “I got handed lemons, too, y’know but I learned how to make lemonade with them… No one ever told me I had to add sugar but that’s life for you. It ain’t sweet.

No one knows how another person feels in private.

It is better to read a little and ponder a lot than to read a lot and ponder a little.

Don't waste your time complaining, use your energy to create a solution. Even a 10% resolution is progress.

Early happiness handicaps people. I do not regret having been profoundly unhappy.

Do not envy others. If someone gets a larger piece of cake, be happy for them. They'll get fat and you'll stay thin.

I love my life and I am so blessed.

Every day there is a compromise. Living with somebody requires a lot of understanding. But I love being married. I really love it.

We buy expecting to hold a bond to maturity and a stock forever.