I’m reading G. K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy and came across the following about how he came to write the book:

“I will begin to worry about my philosophy,” said Mr. Street, “when Mr. Chesterton has given us his.” It was perhaps an incautious suggestion to make to a person only too ready to write books upon the feeblest provocation.

and

After a long pause I replied, “I will go home and write a book in answer to that question.” This is the book that I have written in answer to it.

These made me laugh because I, too, am only too willing to turn every flirtatious idea and vaguely intriguing premise into a book. When I read a novel, I think, “That secondary character is way cooler than the MCs” and instantly set about trying to pry said character loose from the story and pilfer him or her in such a way that no one would notice (for advice on how to do this, see Holly Lisle’s article How to (Legally and Ethically) Steal Ideas). News articles and blog posts gives me plot twists and bizarre circumstances. Nonfiction gives me cool worldbuilding details. My mind has been trained to look at everything as potential book fodder.

What are your favorite quotes about writers?