"It's unbelievably clear and sunny, not a cloud in the sky. As if the concept clouds doesn't event exist." (Chapter One, page 3)

"I'm the kind of person who likes to be by himself. To put a finer point on it, I'm the type of person who doesn't find it painful to be alone." (Chapter One, page 15)

"Writers who are blessed with inborn talent can freely write novels no matter what they do—or don't do. Like water from a natural spring, the sentences just well up, and with little or no effort these writers can complete a work." (Chapter Two, page 43)

"When people pass away, do their thoughts just vanish?" (Chapter Four, page 76)

"No matter how much enthusiasm and effort you put into writing, if you totally lack literary talent you can forget about being a novelist." (Chapter Four, page 76)

"I'm not a human. I'm a piece...