R. L. Stine Book Quotations

I used to get a haircut every Saturday so I would never miss any of the comic books. I had practically no hair when I was a kid!

Read. Read. Read. Just don't read one type of book. Read different books by various authors so that you develop different styles.

I haven't written a young-adult book in years. I'm also doing six 'Goosebumps' books a year now.

It's hard for children's authors to be accepted when they try to write adult books. J.K. Rowling is the exception because people are so eager to read anything by her, but it took Judy Blume three or four tries before she had a success.

When I write, I try to think back to what I was afraid of or what was scary to me, and try to put those feelings into books.

I've never turned into a bee - I've never been chased by a mummy or met a ghost. But many of the ideas in my books are suggested by real life.

Many adults feel that every children's book has to teach them something.... My theory is a children's book... can be just for fun.

Well, I hate it when authors come into a school and they say to kids, 'Write from your heart, only write what you know, and write from your heart.' I hate that because it's useless. I've written over 300 books - not one was written from my heart. Not one. They were all written for an audience, they were all written to entertain a certain audience.

I believe that kids as well as adults are entitled to books of no socially redeeming value.

Normally, I spend a week on the outline and take two weeks to write the book.

Well, first you have to love writing. A lot of authors love having written. But I enjoy the actual writing. Beside that, I think the main reason I can be so prolific is the huge amount of planning I do before I start to write. I do a very complete, chapter-by-chapter outline of every book I write. When I sit down to write, I already know everything that's going to happen in the book. This means I've done all the important thinking, and I can relax and enjoy the writing. I could never write so many books if I didn't outline them first.

I love theme parks but I'm a real chicken on rides. I'd rather invent scary rides for my books than go on them for real.