Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

“Art goes into the world unarmed, vulnerable to every quirk of fate, and it must survive only by its power to move men not to destroy it.”

“Very few editors worry about heresy - their goals are much too commercial, thank goodness.”

“If they aren't real enough to surprise me, then they aren't real enough to go on the page.”

“I outline fairly extensively because I'm usually dealing with real events. I don't need to give myself as much information as I used to, but I still like to have two pages of outline for every projected 100 pages of manuscript.”

“When it was cooler, Trazada made a simple meal of sausage, cheese, and bread. She had schooled herself to wait dinner until hunger urged her to eat; it gave seasoning to poor food that no spice could furnish.("The Generalissimo's Butterfly")”

“Providing a writer isn't put off by conventions - and some are - attending them can be a nice break from the necessary isolation of writing.”

“When you're a mid-list writer, it pays to write fast.”

“To Trazada's surprise the Generalissimo laughed, a great subterranean rumbling that shook his gigantic frame like an earthquake. 'Remedios, mia pobre Remedios, they are ignorant. They are afraid. They are stupid and superstitious. Why, most of them think that television is witchcraft and that because they are allowed to vote they have control over the government. And they know it is impossible for a woman to make such a thing. They would never believe you.'("The Generalissimo's Butterfly")”

“I think it is probably more important to attend specialized conventions for a journeyman writer than any other, but it's useful at all stages of a career, if for nothing else, to find out how the industry is working at any given time.”

“Storylines are how characters create the plots involved in their stories.”

“I'm not a good collaborator in general.”

“Common folk didn't have last names in the 8th and 9th centuries.”

“I ride horseback - arthritic knees permitting - or listen to opera. Sometimes I cook. I used to do needlework, but it's hard on my hands now, so I only do it occasionally, but I like it. And, of course, I read.”

“Isn't that an odd philosophy for a vampire?”