"If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself alone. A man should keep his friendships in constant repair."

"There are, in every age, new errors to be rectified and new prejudices to be opposed."

"Being in a ship is like being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned."

"Oats. A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people."

"It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust."

"Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance."

"Writing well mean never having to say, 'I guess you had to be there.'"

"Good writing takes more than just time; it wants your best moments and the best of you."

"Writing gives you the illusion of control, and then you realize it's just an illusion, that people are going to bring their own stuff into it."

"Literature is an occupation in which you have to keep proving your talent to people who have none."

"An author spends months writing a book, and maybe puts his heart's blood into it, and then it lies about unread till the reader has nothing else in the world to do."

"It is not a bad idea to get in the habit of writing down one's thoughts. It saves one having to bother anyone else with them."