John Grisham Writing Quotations

I have learned not to read reviews. Period. And I hate reviewers. All of them, or at least all but two or three. Life is much simpler ignoring reviews and the nasty people who write them. Critics should find meaningful work.

Writing's still the most difficult job I've ever had - but it's worth it.

Writing was not a childhood dream of mine. I do not recall longing to write as a student. I wasn't sure how to start.

Still, something about writing made me spend large hours of my free time at my desk.

An outline is crucial. It saves so much time. When you write suspense, you have to know where you're going because you have to drop little hints along the way. With the outline, I always know where the story is going. So before I ever write, I prepare an outline of 40 or 50 pages.

I've sold too many books to get good reviews anymore. There's a lot of jealousy, because [reviewers] think they can write a good novel or a best-seller and get frustrated when they can't. I've learned to despise them.

I learned that lesson a long time ago. When you write popular fiction, you're going to get bashed by critics.

I cannot write as well as some people; my talent is in coming up with good stories about lawyers.That is what I am good at.

My name became a brand, and I'd love to say that was the plan from the start. But the only plan was to keep writing books. And I've stuck to that ever since.

The good thing about writing fiction is that you can get back at people.

I don't start a novel until I have lived with the story for awhile to the point of actually writing an outline and after a number of books I've learned that the more time I spend on the outline the easier the book is to write. And if I cheat on the outline I get in trouble with the book.

Ten years from now I plan to be sitting here, looking out over my land. I hope I'll be writing books, but if not, I'll be on my pond fishing with my kids. I feel like the luckiest guy I know.