Remove all the traffic lights, yellow lines, one-way systems and road markings, and let blissful anarchy prevail. I imagine it would produce a kind of harmony.

I have a study now - I used not to. I also love working in cafes; ignoring noise is good for concentration.

I like to come into my workspace and feel its a living environment and not frozen, which is why I often change or add to the pictures on the wall.

If I think about the writers I love or might be influenced by, I can't write at all, so I pretend there aren't any.

I dont get distracted until the weight of other things left undone finally tips the balance; my mind is flooded with calls, bills, supermarkets, letters, and I have to stop and sort things out.

My father was a screenwriter, but he was also a novelist.

Oh, I always think everyone feels left out.

Horses know how to be loyal but still keep their distance.

When Im writing, I spend all my time in The Grocer on Elgin buying ready-made meals; I think they are the only reason my husband and kids havent left me.

When I was a child, I wanted to raise horses in Wyoming or be a cabin boy on a pirate ship.

Art is inspiring. Walking into a gallery, or when the lights go up on a stage; that thrill of getting something that has nothing to do with acquisition.

It is so important to get respect for what you do and at the same time give it.

There is nothing on earth so stupid as a gallant officer.

It is beautiful, beautiful to give; one of the very most beautiful things in life.

I don't find intimate scenes more difficult than other scenes.

There is no need to upset about the fact that our ancestors were monkeys, because they are capable chaps! Don't be sad about the truth, just understand the truth!

When it comes to personnel issues, I act professionally and respectful of former employees. I just assume that's a two-way street. It's disappointing when it's not.

There's no point in making a film out of a great book. The book's already great. What's the point?

Care not for time and success. Act out thy part, whether it be to fail or to prosper.

Business is business, no child's play.

I Don't Want To Live Long. I Would Rather Get The Death Penalty Than Spend The Rest Of My Life In Prison