Nelson DeMille Quotes

If everyone howled at every injustice, every act of barbarism, every act of unkindness, then we would be taking the first step towards a real humanity.

We're all pilgrims on the same journey but some pilgrims have better road maps.

I like the process of pencil and paper as opposed to a machine. I think the writing is better when it's done in handwriting.

I generally unwind by having dinner with close friends.

There are Mafia families that have bought magnificent houses on the North Shore, although not yet the great estates because they don't want that kind of high profile.

Somehow our devils are never quite what we expect when we meet them face to face.

Everyone looked pensive, which is good cover-up for clueless.

How you handle life depends a lot on how you handle plan B, or if you have a plan B.

…made me promise to cut down on the drinking and swearing, which I have. Unfortunately, this has left me dim-witted and nearly speechless.

I sometimes use some personality traits to fashion part of a character. Most of my characters are composites of either people I know or people in the public eye.

I try to use short sentences, short paragraphs and short chapters to keep the reader's interest.

There are a lot of books about the passing of the English aristocracy, but the vast majority of Long Islanders don't understand their own backyard. It's a private preserve.

I don't like mysteries, which is why I want to solve them. It bothers me that there are things I don't know.

You have to go out of your way as a suspense novelist to find situations where the protagonists are somewhat helpless and in real danger.

I used the pen name because I knew I wanted to write better novels under my own name someday.

Lawrence Kelter is an exciting new novelist, who reminds me of an early Robert Ludlum.

Most of my books are about contemporary subjects, and the world changes so fast that I'm lucky when events haven't overtaken the book I'm writing at the moment.

Job happiness is directly proportional to the distance you are from the home office.

Stephen King once told me he liked my writing. And that was great.

I try to end every chapter with an air of suspense. I try to leave the reader wanting to turn the page.

G.I. humor is similar to cop humor.

Panic---a deep abiding, free-floating anxiety, often without any reason or logical basis.

Basically, all women are nurturers and healers, and all men are mental patients to varying degrees.

A lot of our perception of history is influenced by inaccurate movies.

Writing doesn't leave much time for hobbies, unless you consider that I began writing as a hobby and have made the hobby into a profession.

There is no terra incognito left.

The world has gotten smaller and more accessible since I first started writing in the 70's.

Chemical and biological attacks are scary and will kill a lot of people but dont rise to the level of nuclear.

I thought to myself, what is everyone's worst fear? Nuclear terrorism in America.

Even the most radical Islamic terrorist would not want to see the revered holy city of Medina go up. It would be like losing the Vatican in Rome.

It's good to stay as close to real life as you can, and then kind of dress it up.

Mrs. Corey still uses her maiden name for business, or when she wants to pretend she doesn’t know me.

...the most common cause of death among alpha males was ego.

I do write my manuscripts by hand, in pencil on legal pads. Then they are typed on a word processor by my typist.

Ernest Hemingway was the author I drew inspiration from.

I have no plans to use the Internet as the main subject of a novel.

I think it's more difficult now to write a spy thriller with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Many authors have tried, but few have succeeded in capturing the interest of readers.

It's much different today than it was during the Cold War. The CIA is not the subject of many books anymore. But that might change, because of international terrorism and Red China.

I had a very strong desire to be successful at something.

I read 'Time', 'Newsweek' and 'The Economist'.

It's really scary when you have a moment of temporary sanity.

Kate had never been married, so she had no way of knowing if I was a normal husband. This has been good for our marriage.

The meaning of life has not much to do with good and evil, right and wrong, duty, honor, country, or any of that. It has to do with cutting the right deal.

I turned to the Times crossword puzzle and asked Kate, “What’s the definition of a moderate Arab?” “I don’t know.” “A guy who ran out of ammunition.

Psychology is a soft weapon but you can take outmore enemy battalions with leaflets and radio broadcasts than with high explosives.

I tried to picture a bunch of guys in blue suits running around a beachside neighborhood, knocking on doors and flashing Fed creds. That should cause a stampede of illegal aliens heading south.

The problem with doing nothing is that you never know when you're finished.