Telling Lies for Fun & Profit Quotes

“As a friend of mine, herself a writer, says, “People who spend the most meaningful hours of their lives in the exclusive company of imaginary people are apt to be a little strange.”
― Lawrence Block, Telling Lies for Fun & Profit

“—And I won't deny your neighbors will take you more seriously if you tell them you've written a novel. (Of course if that's the main concern, just go and tell them. You don't have to write anything. Just lie a little. Don't worry—they won't beg to read the manuscript.)”
― Lawrence Block, Telling Lies for Fun & Profit

“If you are trying to write realistic fiction and you people it extensively with overdrawn characters, you’re working against yourself. You can occasionally get away with filling books and stories with grotesques, but unless your name’s Carson McCullers it gets tricky. A less obvious form of caricature consists of giving an otherwise ordinary character a trait or attribute or mannerism on which the reader may focus his attention.”
― Lawrence Block, Telling Lies for Fun & Profit: The Edgar Award Winner's Guide to Writing Mastery and Career Success