I just finished reading The World Within (Tin House Books), which includes interviews with several writers.  A couple of the writers’ more pithy comments:

Claribel Alegria on writing and submitting a book manuscript: “You put it in a bottle and cork it and throw it out to sea for whoever finds it.”

Ken Kesey: “My dad told me a great thing. You never outgrow your need for compliments. And every writer needs to be stroked a little bit. It keeps us writing.”