I don't like to be crazy on different levels all of the time.

A reversal is just anything that's a surprise. It's a way of keeping the audience interested.

Everyone I know who used to be in the intelligence community is moving into the corporate world.

Ambiguity depletes as your budget rises.

I love the idea of spies in love. How would it work between two people who were so programmed to lie and be suspicious, who have a whole life based on pretence?

You have to know human behaviour … And the quality of your writing is absolutely capped at your understanding of human behaviour. You’ll never write above what you know about people.

The people in the Philippines are so extraordinarily nice.

No one can help you write. No one can teach you how to write.

Different people work different ways.

Fear changes everything. We're animals, and when we get afraid we act like animals. I'm not exempt from that.

I never really like it when other writers talk about coming in behind people and rewriting.

It's only after the change is fully formed that you can see what's happened.

We used to be best friends but the first time I saw you, my heart beats fast like my happiness can never be surpassed. I don’t know why but if I lost you promise I will always cry.

Uncommunicated expectations are the shame of relationships.

To build up people teach them to be administrators and managers.

Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor liberty to purchase power.

The noble title of "dissident" must be earned rather than claimed; it connotes sacrifice and risk rather than mere disagreement.

The most important thing is writing songs that resonate and giving people a chance to listen to them.

It's so hard [to be parent] and no matter how old you get and how experienced you get you're always scared you're going to screw it up and you're going to make a mistake.

Its a very wonderful yet difficult thing to be given a lot of really good opportunities and the world is at your fingertips.

A policeman's lot is not a happy one