I have a rule: I will not alter the basic history of a real-life character to suit our fictional needs in a big way.

I'm always amazed by writers who say, "Oh you know I had a half hour so I sat down and wrote a little bit." I just need a real big chunk of time to sit down and focus. That's my process.

I was in the equity-trading department at Merrill Lynch. I was there in 1987 when the market crashed.

Any distraction tends to get in the way of being an effective gangster.

As Oscar tells to Chalky, eventually we all run out of road...

Always be yourself and have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and try to duplicate it.

Experience is in the fingers and the head. The heart is inexperienced.

Some troubles like a protested note of a solvent debtor bear interest.

Remember that you don't write a story because you have an idea but because you have a believable character.

It is only when a man is alone that he is really free.

Try not to have a good time... this is supposed to be educational.

Everyone has got to realise you can't hold onto the past if you want any future. Each second should lead to the next one.

I've been the type of guy, I've always been very forthcoming with how I feel. And that it doesn't make you less of a man to like go and be like, 'This is how I feel about you. This is the truth.'

If Jupiter hurled his thunderbolt as often as men sinned, he would soon be out of thunderbolts.

Sometimes it felt like her life was a series of falls from ever-greater heights.