Ninety percent of the research comes first. I mostly blunder around reading stuff and talking to smart people until an idea batters or oozes its way through to my narrative brain. – Scott Westerfeld
I wouldn’t say design has become strictly functional. A lot of cars these days look downright comic book to me, and the info-gadgets with which late industrial people spend the most time – phones, music players, etc. – are blobjects. – Scott Westerfeld
I have no formal training as a writer at all, not even a single English class in college. However, my adult books are all science fiction, which has some similarities to YA. – Scott Westerfeld
I have no formal training as a writer at all, not even a single English class in college. – Scott Westerfeld
Sometimes you have to delete characters from a scene just to keep from overcrowding the image. – Scott Westerfeld
I found a great book called ‘Slang Through the Ages’ by Jonathon Green. It’s basically a thesaurus of historical slang, and had lots of great old uses. – Scott Westerfeld
When the term ‘machine gun’ enters common parlance, the word ‘machine’ becomes much more sinister. – Scott Westerfeld
I’ve learned a lot about stage-managing for illustration. Sometimes you have to delete characters from a scene just to keep from overcrowding the image. I’ve also learned to making big-scale design decisions early. – Scott Westerfeld
When I finish a first draft, I often look back at first chapters I wrote and laugh at them. They’re like pictures of yourself in middle school. You’re embarrassed to see them. – Scott Westerfeld
I have no problem with commenters stating strong opinions, except for my usual annoyance with people who don’t agree with me. – Scott Westerfeld
The difference between being a part-time writer and a full-time writer is like the difference between dating someone and living with them. Some of the romance is gone, but you learn things you’d never know just by dating. – Scott Westerfeld
I think any List of Best X creates arguments and people saying ‘You listed that rubbish?’ That’s what lists like this are for. – Scott Westerfeld
Luckily for writers – and unluckily for history – every scientific idea creates human conflict. – Scott Westerfeld
