Writer

As long as possible, I would really like to complete one marathon per year. Though my time has been slowing down as I get older, it has become a very important part of my life.

I had no ambition to be a writer because the books I read were too good, my standards were too high.

If you remember me, then I don't care if everyone else forgets.

I collect records. And cats. I don't have any cats right now. But if I'm taking a walk and I see a cat, I'm happy.

Most near-future fictions are boring. It's always dark and always raining, and people are so unhappy.

I've run the Boston Marathon 6 times before. I think the best aspects of the marathon are the beautiful changes of the scenery along the route and the warmth of the people's support. I feel happier every time I enter this marathon.

Most young people were getting jobs in big companies, becoming company men. I wanted to be individual.

A fortunate author can write maybe twelve novels in his lifetime.

I think history is collective memories. In writing, I'm using my own memory, and I'm using my collective memory.

Whenever I write a novel, I have a strong sense that I am doing something I was unable to do before. With each new work, I move up a step and discover something new inside me.

When I am writing, I do not distinguish between the natural and supernatural. Everything seems real. That is my world, you could say.

Kalau engkau hanya membaca buku yang dibaca semua orang, engkau hanya bisa berpikir sama seperti semua orang.

For novelists or musicians, if they really want to create something, they need to go downstairs and find a passage to get into the second basement. What I want to do is go down there, but still stay sane.

Kematian bukan lawan dari kehidupan, kematian itu bagian dari kehidupan.

I am 55 years old now. It takes three years to write one book. I don't know how many books I will be able to write before I die. It is like a countdown. So with each book I am praying - please let me live until I am finished.

Confidence, as a teenager? Because I knew what I loved. I loved to read; I loved to listen to music; and I loved cats. Those three things. So, even though I was an only kid, I could be happy because I knew what I loved.

If you want to talk about something new, you have to make up a new kind of language.

Writing is fun - at least mostly. I write for four hours every day. After that I go running. As a rule, 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). That's easy to manage.

For me, writing a novel is like having a dream. Writing a novel lets me intentionally dream while I'm still awake. I can continue yesterday's dream today, something you can't normally do in everyday life.

Please think of me like an endangered species and just observe me quietly from far away. If you try to talk to me or touch me casually, I may get intimidated and bite you. So please be careful.