Writing Platform Quotes

I have a website because it's an interesting tool, very - and quite unexpectedly - useful for my work. It's become an archive and a fairly complete on-line portfolio, as well as offering an opportunity to write a little.

Publishing, legacy or indie, is a vehicle, and you can't opine about whether someone has chosen the right vehicle if you don't know where she intends to drive it.

The reason why my strip is important is not what I say, it’s that I say it in The Washington Post. It’s the channels of distribution that make it important. There’s a million people writing [stuff] in their basement. Great, but the relevance [of my work] is that everyone is reading it.

As a writer, there are times when you have something to say, and yet no particular 'hook' upon which to hang the missive you are burning to release.

A writer will not keep quiet. He will express his opinion through writings.

When I have something to say or share with my viewers, I turn to my blog, and even then, I make it clear that it is my take on certain events.

The wonderful thing about being a New York Times columnist is that it's like a Supreme Court appointment - they're stuck with you for a long time.

I don't tweet because I don't need another creative venue. I don't need another form for self-expression. I don't need another way to get my thoughts out to people. I have one. I'm good.

When I first started blogging, I kept it a secret from my friends and then started to show a few people, and it snowballed from there.

Blogging, I love you no matter how out of fashion you are.

What's great is that starting a blog can get you lot of attention for your writing. But it doesn't have to be for anybody other than yourself.

But if you have a point of view and you're an artist or a writer, it's kind of crazy to not take advantage of that, especially if you can do something that's entertaining as well. I've done a number of things like that over the years.

For my type of story and my kind of writing, I think 'Vanity Fair' is the right forum.

I know that books I have written will still resonate in 50 years - particularly 'My Sister's Keeper.' It has sold three million copies in the States alone. I strongly feel that, as a novelist, you have a platform and the ability to change people's minds.

For me, blogging is just like talking.

Twitter is fun because it lets me stay in touch with all my original readers who grew up with my books. I love hearing from readers instantly on Twitter.

'The Atlantic' really gave me my writing career - even just the conviction to be a writer.

I've never written an original piece for film; all the original things I've done are for the stage.

I think for a young journalist, it's better to write for the Web at the moment than it is for print.

There are a lot of authors in the world, so it's difficult to find a unique niche to present your take on things. That is always a challenge for any author.

On the other side of that coin, and far outweighing it, is the fact that I've been able to use genre of Fantasy/Horror and express my opinion, talk a little about society, do a little bit of satire and that's been great, man. A lot of people don't have that platform.

I just wanted to have fun for myself - I felt I had a lot to say, and I realized that I missed having a magazine as a place to express my ideas. The Times column is a place for me to unload those perceptions.

My website inspired me to create my book club and provides me with a creative outlet where I can write about things that interest me. It's a platform where I can present ideas or new ventures and get feedback straight from the people who mean the most to me.

I want to keep publishing books, and writing and spreading my heartsong through the world.

When Chipotle asked me to take part in the Cultivating Thought program both as an author and an essay contest judge, I was excited by the idea of sharing my story through this unique channel and helping young, inspiring writers do the same.