The most beautiful things are those that madness prompts and reason writes. РAndr̩ Gide, Journals, 1894

Your manuscript is both good and original; but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good. – Author unknown, commonly misattributed to Samuel Johnson (www.samueljohnson.com/

Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand. – George Orwell, “Why I Write,” 1947 (Thanks, Jennifer)